


Afternoon Delight

by starkun



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-09 23:58:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5560892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkun/pseuds/starkun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The upcoming anniversary of Hakyeon and Wonshik's small bakery isn't as smooth as they would hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count: 10,600  
> Rating: PG

“Starlight Bakery: Our pastries are out of this world”

Hakyeon stood outside of the small shop with his hands on his hips, admiring the bold new sign that marked the bakery.

The old wooden letters had aged and become worn from the harsh seasons of Seoul and now that their business was growing Hakyeon had decided they could afford to spruce things up a little; the navy blue letters with scattered golden stars in-between complimented the soft yellow of their store front nicely. He couldn’t wait for Wonshik to return from his errands and see it lit against the bright city lights.

He had gotten it as a surprise for Wonshik for their store’s one-year anniversary coming up that weekend; they were going to have a special sale and be unveiling new treats to the customers. It just so happened it was going to be that their own anniversary as well, having decided to open the pastry shop together to celebrate their first year as a couple and graduation.

They had met during their first year of pastry school, having been assigned as kitchen partners and, cliche as it may be, had hit it off right from day one (at least according to Hakyeon). 

Kim Wonshik: quiet but precise, able to make even the simplest desserts have a bold taste the professionals had never experienced before. And Cha Hakyeon: boisterous and adventurous, adding his own twists and flare to their assigned desserts much to the annoyance of the professors even though it harbored delicious results. 

Between Wonshik’s careful preparations and Hakyeon’s crazy concoctions they had become quite the pair and the talk among the other students and teachers.

Hakyeon had known he liked the younger Wonshik right from the start, drawn in by those puppy-dog eyes and deep voice that didn’t seem befitting of someone studying to bake cute little treats for a living. Wonshik, on the other hand, had needed a little more convincing. He liked things orderly in his life and baking and had a system for both, a system that Hakyeon never failed to completely disregard both in and out of the kitchen. 

Eventually Wonshik fell for the older’s charming and motherly nature, finally agreeing to a date during their second year of school (though he would swear up and down it was just to get Hakyeon to shut up and stop asking him out every week). Persistence paid off; it was also how Hakyeon had gotten Wonshik to agree to the admittedly corny tagline that went along with their store. 

Wonshik would be another hour still so to keep himself busy Hakyeon went back into their decent sized industrial grade kitchen to try and figure out just what was missing from the new dessert he was preparing for the weekend celebrations. He had whipped up a sweet puff dough, unable to pinpoint just exactly what flavor would fit best inside for the cream. 

-☆--☆--☆- 

Mumbling to himself at the jewelry store, Wonshik shook his head at the fake model hand clothing a recommended ring. The woman had been with him for the past hour, slowly going through different samples, from magazines to ones in shop. He could tell she was growing weary from his indecisiveness, though Wonshik liked to think of it as his perfectionism. A perfect ring for his perfect boyfriend.

Okay, calling Hakyeon perfect was certainly a stretched term, but he knew at this point in their relationship he was a foregone puppy. Smitten by the Hakyeon’s antics most would deem annoying (his inability to know what personal space meant, for example), and once in his life he thought the same to a small degree. In the end though Wonshik was now unfazed and, dare he say, Hakyeon was cute. 

Cute. Beautiful. Handsome. Kind. Generous. Thoughtful. Wise. 

The list went on and that's why he was sighing as it felt like it would be impossible to find the one ring that would encapsulate all of Hakyeon's qualities into one. 

Checking the time on his watch, Wonshik groaned as he knew he would have to leave soon in order to make it back in time. He hadn't even stopped to get their takeout lunch that Hakyeon requested, the other in the mood for steamed dumplings. 

"We're gonna have to continue this another day, Sojin-noona," he smiled weakly. She had been helping him for the past few months, Wonshik knowing early on that for their anniversary he wanted to buy Hakyeon this.

"I'll keep looking and let you know if I find anything," she assured. 

On his way back, Wonshik made one stop with the containers holding their dumplings and sides from the little shop a couple of blocks away--the ahjumma who owned it smiled as she sneaked in a few extra ones knowing they were Hakyeon's favorite, Wonshik rightfully promising to give her a raspberry-lemon tart when she came in. Then finally, he parked the car, and headed on out, humming to a tune that must've been playing on the radio. 

Wonshik's blonde hair glimmered in the daylight, his shades protecting his eyes but also adding a small sense of style. Wonshik was often mistaken for being a foreign model, and their bakery itself had to have a mostly closed kitchen, for when there was no walls at all the amount of high school girls that gathered for Hakyeon, doubled when they caught sight of the other handsome pastry chef who preferred to hide in the back.

Walking up to the storefront, he didn't notice it right away. It was one of those changes that felt so right, so natural, like it was meant to be there. So he walked right beneath the new lettering and straight into the store, calling out as he slipped his shades off. "Hakyeonie-hyung?" He called out, setting the plastic bag on one of the tables. 

When there was no response, Wonshik moved to the back knowing Hakyeon must've been busy in order not to hear him. Pushing the door open to the kitchen, the sight he saw was familiar yet always unbuckling. He smiled right away, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded, watching for a minute.

Wonshik always loved observing Hakyeon in his hypnosis, knowing that creative mind of his was expressing itself, connected to the world in a completely organic way.

Although Wonshik never understood how Hakyeon could conjure up recipes that sounded ridiculous but came out spectacular, he admired the idle male for it. It was a marvel to witness. He'd more than often been the victim to Hakyeon approaching his projects in school and throwing in random ingredients he balked at.

Wonshik would grumble and frown, hearing Hakyeon boast about how this would make his carefully planned cake even more delicious. Then once Wonshik tasted the end result, he could only pout further at how it indeed made his original idea enhanced, taken to the next level.

This was the man Wonshik fell in love with. And he did not want to disturb Hakyeon now as he saw him standing there, back to him, apron tied about his slender waist as he worked.

There was already a sizable wad of crumpled up pieces of paper spread out along the stainless steel island where Hakyeon was working. He always carried a little notebook with him for jotting down any ideas that came to mind, sometimes at the weirdest moments like the time he had been standing at the urinal in the subway station restroom.

It was also used for brainstorming just what ingredients he wanted to throw together next; writing it on paper helped him envision the creations in his head and actually almost taste what the combinations would be like.

Hakyeon hadn’t heard Wonshik because he had his earbuds in, phone stuffed into one of the pockets of his ivory apron customized with his name on it--a 100 day anniversary gift from Wonshik. Hakyeon had gotten the Wonshik one in return for their 200th day, embroidered in curving cursive hot pink lettering reading “I’m Shiksy and I know it”. Hakyeon remembered the first time Wonshik had stepped out of the back wearing it, the outbursts of giggles from the high school girls that Hakyeon had joined in on; the embarassment and reddening of Wonshik’s face was priceless.

Hakyeon's body swayed lightly to the beat of the music pouring into his ears, not frustrated despite the large pile of discarded ideas next to him. There was one that had potential though and he was whipping up the mix in a small bowl he held in one hand, wooden stirring spoon in the other.

Hakyeon preferred to hand-mix when doing his little experiments, finding himself able to better calculate what might be missing or what he had overused. There were bits of flour stuck in the dark strands of his hair, results of his overzealousness when it came to his baking.

A quick glance at the clock told him that Wonshik should be back by now. Turning around to go wait in the front of the store, he jumped and almost dropped the bowl to see Wonshik already standing there, “Oh my god Shikie! You scared me!” The buds had slipped from his ears in the scare and just hung around his neck, some dance beat softly echoing in the kitchen.

Hakyeon set the spoon aside, tucking the bowl into his arm, and fumbled to pause the music before making his way towards his boyfriend, “Try this, tell me what you think.”

Dipping his finger into the mixture, Hakyeon presented the whipped filling to Wonshik. The cream had a light mocha color, Hakyeon having sprinkled coffee grounds in as the flavoring for this sample.

He always had Wonshik taste test anything before he decided if he wanted to use it a lot. Hakyeon had discovered he was quite biased towards his own desserts and could trust Wonshik to give him an honest opinion.

Parting his lips, feeling the cream-topped finger press between them, Wonshik gently sucked it off and let the flavor settle onto his taste buds before he swallowed; the texture was perfect as always, soft and thick with the right mix of light and heavy.

The sensation of Wonshik’s tongue swiping his finger clean drew a shiver down Hakyeon's spine, swallowing a small lump in his throat. Even though he had purposely left the spoon behind in order to use his finger it still gave him goosebumps, finding the simple action so sensual.

Hakyeon stared at him with those almond-shaped eyes, Wonshik briefly forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. It was easy to lapse into those moments, blanking out and being stunned by the glow always haloing around Hakyeon.

Blinking back into the present, Wonshik finally replied, “Make it just a tad sweeter.”

Hakyeon’s lips tightened before slanting, “It’s not supposed to be as sweet, it’s coffee. Oh, maybe I can try green tea…”

However, Wonshik knew Hakyeon would run off immediately to do just that, and Wonshik couldn’t let him go without a proper greeting. His arm wrapped around the Hakyeon’s waist just as he was about to take a step, keeping Hakyeon bound to him closely, the bowl cluttering a little between them. Wonshik pulled said bowl free from Hakyeon’s arm and set it on the nearby end of a counter, lips pulled together as the ends of his mouth threatened to quirk up.

“Shikkieeeeeee, I have work to do!” The tone of Hakyeon’s voice pitched even higher when he whined, pushing out his lips as far as they could go whenever his boyfriend was trying to keep him from his work. He was trapped, the strong arm holding him in place.

“I got you lunch, and you better eat it before it gets cold.” Words that Hakyeon was so quick to use on Wonshik, the mother-like chords in him always nag--chiming warmly. Except Wonshik indeed did say them tenderly, knowing if he ever dared to raise his voice out of playfulness at Hakyeon, it would earn him a good thwack.

Food was one surefire way to get Hakyeon’s attention though and Hakyeon perked right up, “Did you get my favorite?” He was certain he could smell the scent of dumplings wafting in from the other room, leaning his body to try and peak around the larger one holding him.

With that said, fingers clutching at the back where the strings were knotted together, Wonshik leaned in and as his other hand gently palmed Hakyeon’s cheek; he stopped only when the tips of their noses touched.

Hakyeon considered poking his boyfriend in the ribs, knowing that to be his ticklish spot, and then darting away but his plan was hindered when he felt the large hand resting on his cheek, his nose scrunching up from Wonshik’s pressing against it.

“What do you want?” Of course Hakyeon knew full well what Wonshik wanted so it was in more of a teasing manner that he was asking. Wonshik had started insisting on being greeted and sent off with a kiss, something that Hakyeon was always more than happy to oblige to but he never made it easy.

Hakyeon’s eyes crossed slightly as he tried to keep a steady gaze on Wonshik, feeling the color darken in his cheeks due to their close proximity. It was amazing to him that even after two years Kim Wonshik could still make him blush like this and make his heart beat faster.

Their first kiss was something Hakyeon would never forget. They were working late after school hours on their first year final project, something that would be presented to not only their teachers but to some of the most famous pastry chefs in Korea. It was the school’s way of seeing who could make it through the grueling years that were to come, of weeding out the weak, those who would crack under the pressure.

Hakyeon had been more stressed than he ever had been in his life. Nothing tasting like he wanted it to and he was unable to think of something worthy enough to present to such an esteemed panel of judges; he strived for perfection and wasn’t reaching it.

He had thrown a bowl of too bland batter into the sink, another failed attempt, the metal bowl clattering loudly against the metal of the sink as he gripped the edge of the counter tightly, close to tears. The thought of giving up was starting to weigh on Hakyeon’s mind. It was when he felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his middle to pull him back against a warm body, embracing him tightly, that he broke down.

It was the first time Hakyeon had cried in front of anybody, pressing his face into Wonshik’s chest and letting the tears fall silently. Wonshik said nothing of course, not being a man of many words in the kitchen anyways, but it was fine; Hakyeon didn’t need words. Wonshik was content standing there and holding him, letting him release the pent up frustration.

When Hakyeon had cried what seemed to be the entire supply of water from his body and tried to pull away, he couldn’t, Wonshik’s grip unrelenting. The more Hakyeon struggled the more it seemed impossible, as if he was being constricted by a python, “What the hell, Wonshik? Let me go!”

Hakyeon was considering throwing punches as he glared up at Wonshik, who had him just barely beat in height, waiting for an explanation but what he got was Wonshik’s lips pressing to his own gently, first with a bit of hesitation, before settling. Hakyeon melted, knowing right then and there that yes, he loved Kim Wonshik. And Wonshik felt the same (or at least had enough feelings to want to kiss him).

The kiss hadn’t lasted long, maybe a few seconds, but it was just the inspiration Hakyeon needed. The result was his first signature dessert and one of the most popular now at the bakery: a multi-berry flavored tart aptly titled “Sweet Kiss”. It was a favorite and never-ending joke of Hakyeon’s to tell anyone when they ordered “please give me a Sweet Kiss” that he was already taken.

“Well, what is it? You said I had to eat lunch before it got cold but I can’t eat it if you won’t let me.” Hakyeon's brows were raised and he was fluttering his lashes at Wonshik, feigning his naivety and taking in the handsome face. His hands rested lightly on Wonshik’s waist, drumming his fingers against the hip bones hiding beneath the layers of clothes.

Leave it to Hakyeon to make Wonshik do the embarrassing things.

Instead of verbalizing anything more, the last remaining distance was crossed and Wonshik gathered Hakyeon up into a kiss. Wonshik had taken the easy out which meant Hakyeon had won (again) but he gladly accepted his prize.

As they always did, Hakyeon's arms found their place wrapped around the Wonshik's neck as he returned the kiss. Rising up on the balls of his feet gave him some leverage to press their lips more firmly together and a little hum of delight buzzed his lips. Wonshik could taste the distinct flavor of many trials of whipped cream, curled up on Hakyeon’s tongue sweetly like a confection waiting to be savored. Wonshik loved kissing him when he was in the middle of his work, always wondering what exactly Hakyeon’s flavor of the moment will be. His favorite was when Hakyeon included tarty fruit flavors, knowing he could kiss him for hours if time would allow it.

The tender kiss was short, too short, for how much Wonshik had been reflecting on his history of love for Hakyeon over the past two hours. However, the rational part of him was aware that Hakyeon needed to eat, and after that, they would need to get to the drawing table and bake up a storm with the approaching celebration sale.

“That was worth the wait, yeah?” Loosening his hold on him, to let the chirping Hakyeon-bird fly away, Wonshik kept a small smile on his lips.

“It’ll be worth the wait if you brought my favorite dumplings.” Hakyeon flitted around answering the question directly, as he did with most things in his life, but left a quick peck on Wonshik’s cheek before skipping out to the lobby.

The food was amazing as always. Wonshik made sure Hakyeon ate every extra dumpling the ahjumma gave them; what always surprised him was how much Hakyeon could pack away in his small frame. Between meals where Hakyeon would have seconds, sitting at the table long after Wonshik left to finish up the last bites, he ate snacks and more snacks. On top of that, he’d drink cartons of banana milk. Wonshik wondered where it all went for Hakyeon was not an exercise specialist. Wonshik was the one who would take runs most mornings around the neighborhood, or take a trip to the gym during the less busy seasons. Hakyeon was magically lean, and Wonshik teased him about how he was past the age of high metabolism so it truly was a miracle.

There was no time for talking, and if Wonshik happened to ask a question he got a barely understandable stuffed-mouth answer that showcased what Hakyeon had been chewing on. Hakyeon was usually a very polite and courteous person but manners often escaped when he was indulging in the steamed heaven. He did share, making sure to make sure his considerate boyfriend was fed a few as well.

As Wonshik was the one to stand up first, to start packing away the trash to separate into the different bins, he cleared his throat, asking in a hopefully smooth manner that didn’t reveal his nerves, “So uh…what was the surprise you had for me?”

All thoughts of digestion were tossed aside though at the question, Hakyeon's face registering the shock of Wonshik not knowing, “You didn’t see it when you came in? Ugh, Shikie! You’re so unobservant!” Hakyeon groaned, hopping up from his chair to grab Wonshik's hand and tug him out into the street.

Wonshik should’ve asked sooner. He was actually shocked Hakyeon didn’t come bounding to him and shouting out he was ready to show him; it wasn’t like the last week involved Hakyeon using any chance he could to remind Wonshik he couldn’t wait to show him the big surprise present. This morning he even woke up to Hakyeon whispering in his ear, “It’s the day of the big surprise. And no, it’s not me in a skirt and thigh highs.” That surprise was apparently coming one day according to the vivacious baker who also claimed he found the perfect wig to go with it. Wonshik didn’t get his hopes up because Hakyeon liked to tease him like that.

Once outside Hakyeon turned Wonshik around and directed his head with his hands upwards to where the new sign was glowing. He emphasized it by shaking his finger at it after a scolding “How could you miss it? Honestly you’re so caught up in that bright yellow head of yours sometimes.”

Was this really the hailed surprise Wonshik had been waiting for all week? Standing there in the afternoon sun that wasn’t warm enough to overcome the last of winter’s chill, he squinted as he assessed the lettering once more. The navy was nice. It gave a manly flair to the pastel yellow that Hakyeon had originally insisted on, despite Wonshik’s attempt to persuade him to choose a more neutral color of modern-chic, like slate or a clean white.

Hakyeon wasn’t really all that upset even though he had his arms crossed over his apron (in his haste for food he had forgotten to take it off). But in reality, between the two of them, Hakyeon had learned he couldn’t tiptoe around things when it came to Wonshik at least where feelings were concerned. He had discovered that after weeks of dropping hints in classes talking about how tired he was in the mornings and all the cute cafes he passed on his walks to the school. Or how after lessons he was craving dumplings and some banana milk to wash them down. It only ended with Wonshik telling him to grab coffee before class or recommending a nearby restaurant before going about his own business.

When he was sure Wonshik had suffered through enough of his mock annoyance, Hakyeon looped his arms around one of Wonshik's more muscled ones and rested his head against Wonshik’s shoulder, “Isn’t it pretty? It really brightens up our store and makes it look so much more professional, don’t you think?” He knew Wonshik would love it, or at least pretend to, lest he face the “wrath” of Hakyeon.

“I like it,” Wonshik commented after several seconds, nodding his head, “Feels like it’s been here forever.”

When he turned his eyes onto Hakyeon, he immediately knew Hakyeon was expecting him to be jumping up and down and squealing in excitement. Ready for the hit to come, he raised his arm just in time to feel Hakyeon’s hand collide with it.

“Hyung!” he playfully grinned, quick to head for the door to escape from the slew of hits, “It’s great! It really is!” He’d rather be beaten down in private than in public.

One time in the grocery store, Wonshik came back with the wrong type of cereal, realizing he wasn’t listening when Hakyeon expressed he wanted to try this new brand instead of the one he always got. So when he returned, feeling proud he knew what Hakyeon’s usual flavor was, he was met with chops to his neck and shoulder, a nearby couple staring onward as if Wonshik ran off in urgent apologies.

Once inside of the store again, Wonshik was quick to dart behind a table, facing Hakyeon again to make sure he ran the opposite way in which the older decided to chase him.

“Kim Wonshik you are such a liar!”

Hakyeon’s screeches could compete with those of the ajummas running the neighboring stores, his yells loud enough to be heard for blocks. There were a few passersby that stopped, confused by the sudden outburst and attack that followed before they both disappeared back into the shop.

Hakyeon was in hot pursuit of Wonshik, the inconsiderate jerk, their game of cat and mouse around the table not going in his favor though. Wonshik was agile for such a large man and Hakyeon still hadn’t figured out how to catch him, or how he would hold onto Wonshik if he managed to. Wonshik would always chalk it up to his young blood as the reason he was so swift and nimble, implying then that Hakyeon was comparable to an old man though his mannerisms were more ajumma in nature. The playful little fights Hakyeon happened to win he had done through less than honest means, resorting to tickling, kissing, groping or, what he considered to be his speciality, aegyo.

“Shikkieeeeee.”

The tone of Hakyeon's voice was an exact mimic of the high school girls that frequented the shop to get a glimpse of the flower boy who ran the front and the chic mysterious man who hid in back, Hakyeon often exchanging leftover desserts for new tricks he could use on Wonshik. This trick had Hakyeon resting his elbows on the table they had been scrambling around, learning forward and cupping his chin in the palm of his hands, “Why are you running away from me, honey? Didn’t you miss me while you were gone?”

Hakyeon's fingers curled into fists now, pressing up into his cheeks so his skin bunched up around his eyes, lashes fluttering again, as he pushed his bottom lip out as far as it would go, “Oppaaaa, don’t you love me?”

By now he should have known this would be Hakyeon’s default offense mechanism. However, he was still quite naive and when Hakyeon suddenly transformed into an aegyo factory, pumping out the cute vocals and expressions, Wonshik stiffened.

Cha Hakyeon uses Aegyo Freeze, it’s super effective.

Truth be told Hakyeon was a bit disgusted by his own aegyo sometimes. He knew he had an overabundance of cuteness but this was taking it above and beyond the norm, even for him. For whatever sick and twisted reason though he had found that it was Wonshik’s kryptonite. The first time had been completely accidental, Hakyeon testing out just how much aegyo he could throw around and how girly he could make his voice. He hadn’t expected Wonshik to actually agree to let him name the bakery.

What happened next was typical: Wonshik felt Hakyeon’s arms wrap around him, this extra weight rocking Wonshik's head about on his shoulders like a bobblehead, pretty sure there were hands gripping into his shoulders before the crook of the Hakyeon’s arm was squeezing his neck. The interaction ended in Hakyeon somehow climbing to Wonshik's back and jumping on him, Wonshik wrapping his hands automatically beneath the thighs framing his waist. And it was like that he ended up carrying Hakyeon to the back of the bakery, to the kitchen where they’d spend the next several hours brainstorming and experimenting, creating together for the sake of their own anniversary.

-☆--☆--☆-

The next morning, with only four days left before the weekend event extravaganza, Wonshik was rushing around the apartment. He had woken up late (again), swearing his alarm didn’t go off, though Hakyeon insisted he just slept through it (again). That was a whole other argument though, for Wonshik could’ve easily asked why Hakyeon didn’t wake him up then, in which Hakyeon would respond that Wonshik was a big boy and could wake himself up.

Hakyeon could have easily woken Wonshik up. He had already been up for an hour when he emerged from the shower to the sound of Wonshik’s phone alarm buzzing, watching as he felt around for the device blindly, head shoved under one of the pillows, cursing when he couldn’t find it right away. The sigh of relief that followed when he finally located and hit the snooze button drew a chuckle from Hakyeon, content to stand there and watch Wonshik sleep for a short while, rolling his eyes at the bear-like snores coming from the lump beneath the covers.

The snoring had taken some getting used to. The first night Hakyeon had spent at Wonshik’s he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep, kept awake all night by sounds he never imagined a human was capable of making. He would have had an easier time sleeping to the dying wails of a pack of walruses. But strangely now Hakyeon couldn’t fall asleep without that dreadful sound practically shaking the walls of their bedroom; it was comforting, a reminder that the love of his life was right by his side, usually sprawled out on his stomach and taking up half the bed and almost all the covers.

Clearly, Wonshik wasn’t a big boy though, for he was trying to frantically brush his teeth while slipping into a light blue button up. When he realized the shirt was inside out, he cursed out a mumbled sound around the toothbrush sticking from his lips. Hakyeon was seated at the table munching on his favorite sugary cereal when he heard the loud “DAMNIT” resounding from their bedroom, just clicking his tongue as he continued eating his breakfast, “He’ll learn one of these days.”

Jetting to the bathroom to rinse his mouth out, Wonshik quickly wiped his mouth with a towel to get rid of the excess foam about his lips. Then he hurriedly started buttoning up his shirt while staring at himself in the mirror, hands flitting to his hair in between to try and smooth out the strands so he didn’t step into the bakery looking like a complete mess. He’d just have to wear his toque all day.

Watching Wonshik running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off was quite the spectacle, admittedly Hakyeon felt a little bad but at least he had breakfast and a coffee waiting for Wonshik when he finally finished. Rushing out of the bedroom finally, looping his belt into the buckles and stuffing his shirt into the waist of his pants, Wonshik shuffled over to the door where Hakyeon was standing so calm, so nonchalant, so unhelpful, “Are there any--” Hakyeon held up a granola bar. Wonshik smiled as he grabbed it from him. “And what about--” There was an iced can of coffee pushed into his hand. Okay, so Hakyeon wasn’t that unhelpful. “Thanks,” he leaned in, pressing a kiss to Hakyeon’s button-nose, before dipping down to press one on his heart-lips.

“What would you do without me, Wonshikie?” He taunted, the corners of his lips curling up practically to his ears as he finally got his proper “good-morning”. Hakyeon’s nimble fingers set to work fixing the buttons of Hakyeon’s shirt; in his haste Wonshik had fastened them unevenly and Hakyeon couldn’t be seen with Wonshik looking anything less than presentable and at his most handsome.

Giving a curt nod when he had fixed the minor issue, Hakyeon rested his hands on Wonshik’s chest after smoothing out a couple wrinkles as well, “You look so handsome in blue, Wonshikie.” Hakyeon had opted for a simple pair of skinny jeans and a light gray three-quarter sleeved shirt, clothes he wouldn’t get too warm in from the heat that would be permeating from the ovens but clothes he could get a bit messy as well.

Every time Hakyeon smiled up at Wonshik he was reminded of how lucky he was to have landed such a catch, someone so tall and attractive yet attentive to his needs and, most importantly, able to tolerate him, “I love love love you so much.” Dark hands slid up to the pale cheeks, cupping them so he could pull Wonshik down for a tender yet firm kiss.

“Love you, too, hyung,” Wonshik murmured, right before their lips met and he was swept into the magnetic gravitational field of Cha Hakyeon, the sun of his life.

-☆--☆--☆-

At the store, Wonshik had his sleeves rolled up and his navy apron on, the hot pink lettering of his name stitched across the breast. As usual, he’d turn and let Hakyeon tie him up, him much quicker at this, Wonshik always the type to just double knot it without caring to make a bow. After, they prepared their first round of pastries, from the sweet, ripe tarts to the puffs filled with green tea and almond cream filling, to the fluffy layers with sweet stickiness in between topped with more fresh berries.

While Hakyeon carefully filled the displays with the fresh baked goods, lining them up evenly, he was always better at that than Wonshik who sometimes got frustrated at the Hakyeon's nagging when there wasn’t equal spacing between them, Wonshik walked to the store front and counted down on his watch. Ten more seconds to go. 

Once Hakyeon had finished putting out the desserts, he took a step back to make sure everything was in its proper place. Presentation was just as important to selling a baked good as the taste was; he took the saying “it looks good enough to eat” quite literally when it came to decoration and set-up. One blueberry muffin had snuck out of line but it was quickly pushed back into its place. There, perfect.

When it hit eight on the dot, Wonshik flipped the little sign in the window around to ‘Open’. Turning around, he stretched his arms above his head, yawning as he was still waking up for the day. “Ready? Do you think Mrs. Kim with the big hat will come in?” There was this older lady who always sported really big bold hats, ranging in all colors of the rainbow depending on the day. She favored their cream puffs, always complimenting them on how they had the right mix of softness and flakiness to them, and the cream itself wasn’t too sweet for her old teeth.

Mrs. Kim was a regular and one of their best customers so Hakyeon always made sure to have everything ready to go for her, as she would always tell them, she was a very busy woman. But not too busy to always make a point of hinting about her single, attractive, college graduate daughter when making small talk with the pair of them.

Circling around the counter, his arms slipping about Hakyeon’s waist for his last small moments in pestering him up with affection, Wonshik gave him a hug from behind while his chin rested on Hakyeon's shoulder, eyes glimpsing to the wide windows to ensure no one was coming yet, “She says she has a daughter that’s looking for a husband.”

The weight of Hakyeon's body automatically sunk back into the one suddenly behind him, tilting his head so he could nuzzle his nose into Wonshik’s cheek, the scent of his fruity face wash still lingering on his skin, “Mm...of course she will. I’ve already got a sample of my new green tea cream puffs boxed up for her to try.” He motioned to a small pink box next to the register he had already prepared. Wonshik’s comment also had Hakyeon chuckling, “Did she really? Did you tell her what a good husband I would make?” The corner of his mouth twitched as he raised a brow at his boyfriend, his hand finding one of the other’s around his waist and intertwining their fingers, “Maybe I should offer to take her out on a date.”

Wonshik’s arm was lifted from around him, Hakyeon using the hand he was holding to gracefully spin himself free seconds before the chiming of their little door bell signaled a customer entering. Teasing his boyfriend in such a manner was mean, he knew, but Hakyeon liked how possessive Wonshik became of him when he got jealous. It was one of his vices that he just couldn’t quite overcome. Hakyeon always did his best to make sure he never stepped over their line of boundaries though.

When Wonshik spotted another one of their regulars stepping through the doors, his heart plummeted, that dreadful feeling taking over again. The customer was a brute-looking man, one that never smiled (except at Hakyeon), never spoke (except to Hakyeon), and never bothered interacting with anyone else in the bakery (except for Hakyeon). Wonshik found it a problem in particular when one day Hakyeon was at home sick. Already feeling overwhelmed by having to manage the store by himself, he was especially frustrated and about to burst when this guy stood at the front of line, holding everyone up, while refusing to order anything. Wonshik was sure he never actually asked him, "Where is Hakyeon?", but by some telepathic rays sent his way in a gaze, he did hear himself answer, "At home sick." It was only then that the silent male stepped away from the counter and went straight for the door without ordering anything. That wasn't the more troublesome part about the story.

The more troubling part was that, he showed up the next day with a “Get Well” card for Hakyeon, along with vitamins. Wonshik made sure the card and the vitamins never made it to Hakyeon, for he was the only one who could privy his boyfriend up with love and affection. Alright, so he might've been a little hard on the guy, but Wonshik was jealous and possessive to a healthy extent.

"Taekwoonie!"

Wonshik heard Hakyeon exclaim as he was pushing the door open to the back, his gaze lingering long enough to see the usually stoic man softly smile.

Hakyeon immediately darted over to the dark haired, dark eyed, brooding customer, throwing his arms around the toned middle of the taller male. Taekwoon had learned over his many visits that the same-aged Hakyeon was an affectionate and friendly person with everyone he encountered, and that frustrated him to some extent. There were enough times Taekwoon lingered at one of the tables long after he had finished his dessert to watch the outgoing baker buzzing from customer to customer like a busy little bee, an adorable little worker bee.

Hakyeon’s energy was contagious and Taekwoon couldn’t stop the way the corners of his lips curled up just the tiniest bit whenever one of those glowing smiles was passed his direction. He realized any deeper feelings or meanings behind those sweet smiles and crushing hugs were impossible to read. Taekwoon had also learned to brace himself for the enthusiastic embraces, the smaller man gathering enough momentum to almost topple him over, “Hey Hakyeon-ah.” He replied softly, lightly patting Hakyeon's back in return as he kept a friendly smile on his face. It was always just “Hakyeon-ah”, remembering the scalding glare he had gotten from Wonshik the day he had called him “Hakyeonie.” It wasn’t a mistake he was going to make again.

“Come here, you have to try these!”

Taekwoon hadn’t even been in the store ten seconds and already the little bee had grabbed his hand and was pulling him behind the display case.

Hakyeon opened the box he had set aside for Mrs. Kim to pull out one of the small puffs; she wouldn’t even know she was being shorted. The dough was pastel green, Hakyeon having added a few drops of food dye to the dough to liven up the color to match the green tea filling inside, “Open up!” He pushed the pastry to Taekwoon’s lips, waiting until they opened before popping into his mouth.

Hakyeon didn’t know why Wonshik never came out of the back when Taekwoon was around; Taekwoon hadn’t done anything to make him mad that he had seen.

Though a little intimidating at first and the quietest person Hakyeon had ever met, he found the large presence comforting and enjoyed the little bit of company he got to have with Taekwoon whenever he stopped by the store. With each visit he seemed to unlock a little more of the mysterious man, remembering the shock he had gotten seeing him actually smile for the first time. It was small, just a little twitch of his thin lips, but it excited Hakyeon nonetheless. So much so that he had startled Taekwoon with the little squeal of delight that slipped out.

Hakyeon still remembered the day he first met Taekwoon. A coffee shop had filled the vacated space across the street from their bakery a few months after they had opened. Being the friendly, neighborly type of guy he was he had gone over a week later with a box full of pastries to welcome them to the area, yelling at Wonshik to “man the store” while he was gone.

Taekwoon had been standing behind the register looking very bored as he took the order of some girl who was very obviously trying to flirt with him, lips pouting as she feigned not knowing what to order. When she finally caught on that the barista was going to take no part in her antics, she settled for an Americano and sulked off to one of the seats. 

“She was kind of cute! Not your type?” His smile was just met with a silent stare. No matter. “I’m Cha Hakyeon! My partner and I own that adorable bakery you see across the street. I brought over some of our most delicious treats to welcome you to the neighborhood…” The box was set on the counter so he could lean over to peek at the other’s name tag, “Taekwoon. I hope to see you around! Stop by anytime!”

He was about to just turn and leave the quiet man in stunned silence and confusion over how one person could be so damn happy meeting a stranger but he turned back; Taekwoon was caught with his hand already sneaking into the box, “Oh! Can I get..hmm...make me your favorite drink!”

Taekwoon quickly popped one of the little donut balls he had captured into his mouth before he punched in the order and swiped the baker’s card to complete the payment. His eyes widened as the sugary taste penetrated his taste buds, his gaze shifting to the man across the counter who was still just grinning at him.

“I told you they were delicious.” Hakyeon laughed as Taekwoon stole another before fixing his drink, handing it off with a mumbled “thank you come again” as he watched Hakyeon hop back across the street to the bakery sipping cheerfully on his green tea latte.

Taekwoon would often stop and watch Hakyeon bustling about the bakery while he was wiping down the coffee shop tables, peering through the large glass fronts of the stores; it was how he noticed that Hakyeon never stopped smiling and that he had a contagious aura that made everyone around him brighter, caught in his glow. After a couple weeks Taekwoon couldn’t talk himself out of not going any longer, picking his lunch break one Friday afternoon to wander over with a green tea latte in hand. It was the first time he had seen Wonshik, the partner, too; he could sense Wonshik didn’t seem to like him from the start.

“Taekwoonie!” Hakyeon remembered his name even after all that time.

Taekwoon just lowered his head, hoping to hide the light color spreading across his nose at the stupid nickname he really didn’t mind and present the drink to him, “Oh! You remembered! That’s so sweet of you!”

The bakery was busy that day, and every day around lunch Taekwoon would discover, but after awhile he didn’t mind waiting at one of the tables until the rush was through and Hakyeon would ramble on about whatever happened to be on his mind for that day. Even though Taekwoon never contributed much it never dulled Hakyeon’s energy.

In the back, Wonshik sighed heavily as he rolled out the dough on the wooden countertop, flour coating his hands as he concentrated hard on getting the right amount of thickness quickly. He always did this, poor himself into the artistry of baking. If he let himself be consumed by the baking process, then he wouldn't have to think about what was going on in the front. Just past those walls, he could only imagine the sweet smiles Hakyeon so innocently bestowed while that cloudy customer soaked it all up. Wonshik sometimes wondered if Taekwoon were an energy vampire feasting on his lover's positivity.

Wonshik slammed the big roll of dough, kneading into it with his fists, working it through and through. Laughter seeped through the walls, Hakyeon's laughter, and Wonshik could see the delight brightening on his face as he was sure he recounted some amusing anecdote from the last day, always willing to share his heart-warming encounters. And that Taekwoon guy just nodding and silently listening because clearly he didn't feel the need to contribute much back to the conversation.

After sprinkling a light layer of flour onto the top of the thick mixture, Wonshik clapped a bit more of the white powder onto his hands rather firmly, so much that a little cloud puffed into the air. Now he bet Taekwoon was digging into his treat, the most plain tart ever in the world, to resemble his personality. He'd smile gently at Hakyeon to let him know it was tasty, and his generous boyfriend would clamp his hands together in delight, maybe even give Taekwoon a cheek squeeze. He--He paused. And took a breath. Wonshik unintentionally worked himself up into a sweat, wiping off a bead or two that collected on his brow, stepping over to the sink to wash his hands and take a break.

Wonshik had seen this exchange between Hakyeon and Taekwoon once--more than he ever needed to. Ever since, he knew he wouldn't be able to watch again without causing a scene. However, with his emotions already on edge and his feelings for Hakyeon burning so strongly after he'd been thinking deeply about their approaching anniversary, he found his legs dragging him back to the kitchen door. There he pushed it open and stepped back out, making a rare appearance. His toque was a little lopsided, his hair lightly dusted in a patch by his brow, clearly from the flour. He didn't notice at all, moving over to where he saw Hakyeon smiling while chattering away at the table Taekwoon was camping out at.

Hakyeon was laughing at one of his own puns, as he usually did, about naming these new flavored puffs after himself (his last name being a word for ‘tea’), the sound drawing out as he just saw the white’s of Taekwoon’s eyes but also catching the smallest crack of lips breaking through that blank facade, “Oh you love the name, just admit it!”

"Hey, how's it going out here?" Wonshik suddenly barged into the one-sided conversation, his fingers linking as a forced laugh fell off his tongue, eyes twinkling oddly as he kept himself from heaving.

The sudden entrance of Wonshik’s voice startled Hakyeon, just about falling into Taekwoon’s lap but he caught himself in time. Taekwoon had had his arms up just slightly, ready to catch him. They were quickly lowered as he looked off to the side, away from their interruption.

“Shikie!” Hakyeon exclaimed cheerfully, grabbing onto his boyfriend’s arm to pull him into the conversation, “You never come out to talk with us! I was just telling Taekwoonie all about the big things we have planned for this weekend, all the amazing new things you’ve been baking up! Oh, you must be working hard back there. You’re a mess!”

Hakyeon was still smiling from before but this smile was different, an even softer and loving smile he reserved just for Wonshik. Reaching up, he brushed the stray flour from Wonshik’s face, dusting it out of hair as well, before setting his toque straight on his head, “There.” Hakyeon kissed Wonshik's nose. “Perfect.”

Though his head was tilted away, Taekwoon watched the exchange from the corner of his eyes, noting the way Hakyeon doted on the younger male, envy prickling beneath his skin that he wasn’t the one having his bangs brushed from his face by those smooth, tan fingers, or having those soft pink lips tickle the tip of his nose. These were such foolish thoughts and he quickly shook them from his head. He stood, having seen more than he wanted to and just wanting to leave but he was stopped by those five smooth, tan fingers catching him around the wrist, “You can’t leave yet, Taekwoonie! You have to tell Wonshik about some of the names you were telling me, for our new desserts!"

Hakyeon’s eyes were pleading, a slight flicker of disappointment as Taekwoon had risen from his seat, “Oh, I know!” As quickly as it had appeared the warmth around Taekwoon's wrist was gone, Hakyeon clapping his palms together, “You two talk while I go and get Taekwoon some more of those Cha puffs! I have some from last night that just need the filling!” Before either of them could unleash their utter repulsion at the idea Hakyeon was gone, the kitchen door swinging shut behind him.

Blankly staring, it took Wonshik an extra moment to realize the situation; Hakyeon abandoned him here, with this luna--he pressed his lips together and slowly exhaled, knowing he needed to channel the calm, laid back Wonshik that never let his mood be so affected by the change in the temperature of the wind. That's all Taekwoon was, a small change in the wind, just an extra gust of wind on a breezy day. Temporary and easy to forget about once he was curled up in the warmth of his home. His "home" that just so happened to leave him here alone with the extra wind he would rather not be staring at.

"So uh, what about these names?" Wonshik attempted to prompt him into conversation, already knowing the outcome.

As expeted, Taekwoon didn't even meet his gaze. He found no reason to engage with the baker when he had intended only for Hakyeon to hear. So there he stood, counting down the seconds until Hakyeon's return.

Wonshik remembered a time similar to this. It was back in school, when the Hakyeon had naturally befriended everyone in the class. He had been on Wonshik's case for a while at that point, having asked him a on a date about five times so far, Wonshik still brushing it off. There was another student though who had taken a liking to Hakyeon. His name was Lee Jaehwan, and he had a knack for making the most intricate looking cakes, though the flavor was always off. It was just reaching summer after the term started, when Jaehwan presented Hakyeon with a plate of cookies. They had hearts with icing lining them, with little sprinkles shaped like hearts as well. The colors ranged from white and pink to reds, very Valentine's like, save for the fact it was months after.

Wonshik remembered watching as Jaehwan caught Hakyeon somewhat alone. Wonshik had been sitting under a tree outside, enjoying one of the first warmer days, when Hakyeon came to sit beside him. Before Hakyeon could even ask Wonshik how his day was, there was another voice piping in. Honestly he didn't remember many details beyond being quite shocked that Jaehwan was there, his usually louder voice in class suddenly mumbled and barely audible. He just saw the plate thrust at Hakyeon by him on the bench, eyes widening as he took in the beautifully decorated treats. What Wonshik remembered very clearly though, was the flash of heat rising in his chest.

Hakyeon accepted the cookies with a warm smile. Wonshik couldn't place at the time if it was second hand embarrassment or jealousy. He didn't know until a couple of weeks later when he was accepting Hakyeon's offer to go on a date with him.

It took Wonshik a great deal of course to ask Hakyeon why he took those cookies when he refused the date that Jaehwan wanted out of them. Hakyeon had simply told him, "He baked them with love. No one's love should go ignored." These were the words playing through Wonshik's head right now as he eyed Taekwoon. Did the other man want to confess to Hakyeon the same way Jaehwan had done a couple of years ago? Would Hakyeon kindly tell him he'd accept his love, but be unable to return it? Or would he actually...

Wonshik gulped. Had he been an inattentive boyfriend lately? Was the business taking too much of his time and he'd forgotten to show Hakyeon the very high amount of attention and affection he needed? He was trying to replay the past couple of weeks in reflection when the door to the kitchen opened again and a familiar, lovely voice was sweeping the air.

“It’s been almost a year and I still can’t leave you alone together without it being awkward? How can you both not have anything to talk about?” Hakyeon stood with his hands on his hips as he scolded the two of them, his voice awfully mother-like, as was his entire personality. The chiming of the door bell drew his attention but he wasn’t finished with Wonshik and Taekwoon, “Just talk about how amazing I am if you can’t think of anything.” Hakyeon left them with a wink before moving to the counter to tend to the couple that had walked in. If only he realized the weight of what his suggestion carried.

“Those donuts will make you see stars they’re so good! Thank you, come again! We’re having our big anniversary celebration this weekend so make sure to stop by, bye!” A few more people had trickled in but were met with quick service, Hakyeon lifting the bottom of his apron to wipe at his forehead like he had just done a lot of hard work when all he had done was take an order for a birthday party and box up some donuts.

Grabbing a pale pink box he had brought out from the back and left sitting off to the side when they had gotten the small rush, Hakyeon walked over and presented it to Taekwoon, “Here! It’s more of those green tea cream puffs since I saw how much you really liked the first one.”

Hakyeon was standing so close he had to tilt his head back to look up at the taller Taekwoon; if Hakyeon were a dog his tail would have been wagging excitedly, “I got the idea for them when I remembered the first day we met and you made me the best green tea latte I’ve ever had! It was lunch time so instead of naming these marvelous little things after myself I’m going to call them ‘Afternoon Delights’. Cute, isn’t it?”

Hakyeon could nag and complain and stomp his little foot all he wanted, but no way was he going to get Wonshik to interact and hold an amicable conversation with Taekwoon. Especially not if he was going to act like this in front of him, let alone gain inspiration from the barista. Hakyeon went the whole nine yards of naming one of _their_ desserts (Wonshik still considered their individual concoctions to be a group effort) after the usual timeframe Taekwoon came to the store. Today Taekwoon was only abnormally early because he probably had time to dip in before the cafe became busy.

Wonshik’s eyes widened at the exchange, his lips gaping at the air like a goldfish in a tank. He could only hope in three seconds he would forget all of this and continue on with his day in peace. The smile that crept along Taekwoon’s features as his gaze rose to Hakyeon’s, only to drop down in what was obvious sheepish embarrassment was enough to make Wonshik want to gag--and grab Hakyeon by the waist and shove him into a kiss. At least that way Taekwoon would know beyond a doubt that those little googly-eyes he was sending would surmount to nothing, nothing at all. Right?

Once again Wonshik contemplated the last few weeks, and when he saw Taekoon take hold of the box, nodding his head as he made his exit, he bitterly thought, And Stay Out.

Taekwoon left the store, gingerly cradling the box to respect how fragile he perceived it. These cream puffs were a gift from Hakyeon, while thinking of him. As silly as it was to be hopeful, at least he knew now the puppy-like baker thought of him often enough to construct one of his baked goods after him. _The best one in the store now_ , Taekwoon thought smugly.

The looks Wonshik gave him clearly spelled out his dislike, maybe even hatred at this point. It had Taekwoon a few weeks to gather enough evidence pointing to their relationship after he had first set foot in the bakery to know Hakyeon and Wonshik were more than just business partners. Besides the obvious touching Taekwoon noticed the more obsolete ones, like how Hakyeon always had to have one part of his body connected to Wonshik’s when idle. Whether it was his pinky stretched out to skim at Wonshik's wrist, or the toe of his shoe nudging against the other’s boot, Taekwoon saw Hakyeon could not stand still for more than two seconds without part of himself reaching out for his "partner".

Takewoon also spotted the looks and smiles. Although he enjoyed the heat that flourished through him like a sun’s drop on a daisy petal, when Hakyeon smiled at him, he saw the more tender rise to Hakyeon's lips as Wonshik would sometimes make his appearance. There was also this lingering look in Hakyeon's eyes. Taekwoon could only observe but he knew it was the look of one who truly admired and beheld another person with multi-faceted love, deeper than the one-layered relationship Hakyeon had with the quiet barista from across the street.

Conclusively, facial features and body language were easy for Taekwoon to read, being one who relied less on words. So while he knew what kind of partnership harbored between Hakyeon and Wonshik, most customers did not, assuming the two handsome gentlemen were in it for similar ambitions and a great business plan.

However, despite understanding Hakyeon and Wonshik were together, Taekwoon had the smallest fraction of hope that the tides would alter Hakyeon’s heart. One day Hakyeon might have an epiphany that the loyal customer who dedicated his daily lunches to the coffee shop, was someone who could meet all of his needs and love him more than the man currently at his side. It was unrealistic, but the introverted male rarely found himself drawn to any adult-sized human.

So it was with these big thoughts fluttering around his mind, that Taekwoon crossed the street and returned to his lonely role as barista. Before the shift ended, he would eat the box of cream puffs except for one. The last one was to be taken home and savored, to be eaten where Taekwoon could sit down on his couch, curled up with his cat and relish in the reality that Hakyeon thought of him to be an afternoon delight.

“Hakyeon...” Wonshik pouted as he watched Hakyeon still waving at the retreating form of Taekwoon, who was already on the other side of the street. “He’s been gone for hours now,” he exaggerated a little.

Preoccupied with making sure his friend got across the street safely, it was never known when a food delivery scooter would come whizzing by, Hakyeon almost didn’t notice the missing formality in Wonshik’s use of his name. Almost. Nothing was said as Hakyeon just walked forwards towards the door, switching the hanging sign around to “Closed” while propping a sign that said they were out running errands and be back in an hour against the large window. He also made sure to let the curtains drop shut. Hakyeon didn’t know what exactly he was going to do to “punish” Wonshik yet, figuring he could get him worked up and anxious by closing down the shop for a bit. He did know that this was unacceptable and he couldn’t let Wonshik get away with it. There was always some reason he would drop the ‘hyung’ from his name and he had an idea about what the cause was this time.

“Shikie, Shikie, Shikie…” Hakyeon tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth “tsk”ing as he pivoted and began his slow walk towards him, like a lion in the savannah picking out the weakest gazelle, “Do you realize what you just did?”

It wasn’t something he could ever recall Wonshik doing on accident, knowing this time had to be on purpose as well and likely because of his interactions with Taekwoon, “Are you really that jealous?”

Hakyeon could recall when Wonshik had started to behave like this: shortly after Jaehwan had gifted him with homemade cookies during their school days. It had been obvious that that was what had finally pushed him into finally agreeing to a date with Hakyeon. Even if Wonshik hadn’t realized it at the time, Hakyeon already knew that Wonshik was going to be very, very protective of him. While he found it cute at times, Hakyeon knew it was an insecurity which was why Wonshik always went above and beyond to dote on him, spoil him, almost smother him with attention. It wasn’t that Hakyeon didn’t like it, quite the opposite, he just wished there was something he could do to reassure his boyfriend without having to sacrifice the one consistent friendship he had.

Hakyeon paused with just a miniscule amount of space between their bodies, trying to look intimidating with raised brows and a stern, straight-lipped expression but having a feeling he wouldn’t be taken seriously in his cute embroidered apron, with his puffy cheeks or naturally sparkling eyes; he was built to be adorable not scary.

“Why are you so jealous?” The tone of Hakyeon’s voice dropped into a lower register, almost whispering as he reached behind to pull apart the tie of his apron, letting it hang from only his neck before he placed his hands on Wonshik’s waist. Auburn tinted eyes peered up at Wonshik with a slightly lidded gaze, “You’re the one I touch every day.” His thumbs lifted the hem of Wonshik's shirt, the pads tracing light circles on the pale, firm skin beneath, “You’re the one I fall asleep next to every night and wake up against every morning.” Hakyeon closed the distance between their bodies as his fingers ghosted up Wonshik’s sides. He pressed a gentle kiss to the pout Wonshik's lips had taken, balancing himself on his tip-toes so he could rest his forehead against Wonshik’s, letting out a deep, weighted sigh, “You’re the one I say 'I love you' to every chance I can get. There’s no need to be jealous.”

Working the shop with just the two of them left no time for a social life or friends outside of each other, the only other people they interacted with being the customers. So when Hakyeon had finally found another person he could share new things with, someone he could update on about his life who wasn’t right there every second experiencing it with him, it had felt nice. Admittedly he was a bit overzealous at times so he couldn’t blame Wonshik entirely for his jealousy.

“I love you, you giant, silly man. Only you, Kim Wonshik.” In case his words needed any reinforcement, he melted his lips against Wonshik’s once more, this time lingering. All in all this really wasn’t much of a punishment.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 11,847   
> Rating: PG

Wonshik made it out of the next couple of days feeling pretty good. 

Hakyeon’s little ploy to subdue his worries had worked. Their lunch break ended with Hakyeon getting quite a "meal" out of him while Wonshik had to recollect himself in the bathroom for at least five minutes, having experienced first hand the agile ability of Hakyeon's hands and mouth. So while the home life was a happy one, feeling stable and promising, Wonshik had been in constant contact with Sojin. She said she had found just the perfect ring; it was being shipped in from a southern jeweler who made everything by hand, and it would arrive the following day, on Friday. That bit of news left him in such an elevated mood that he was humming and dancing from station to station while in the back. He was also thriving in the moment and wanted to treat Hakyeon to his summer favorite, a large serving of patbingsoo. 

"I'll be right back," Wonshik told Hakyeon, using the excuse that they were almost out of toilet paper for the bathroom as a reason to run out of the shop briefly. It was the early evenine, a slower time. Most people wouldn't be coming in for at least another hour after they left work, hoping to buy surprise desserts for the family or significant others to take home, "Don't burn the shop down!" Wonshik yelled as he walked out, grinning the whole way as he slid his sunglasses off--but moments later he was running back in, having forgotten he walked out with his floury apron still on. Quickly slipping it off and throwing it over the counter at Hakyeon with a big goofy grin that Hakyeon couldn't tease him for, he then could skedaddle off, leaving his lover behind. 

Though the store wasn’t as busy at this time as it usually would be on a weekend, there was still a lot to be done in preparation for the anniversary celebration on Saturday, just two days away. Needless to say Hakyeon was a bit frustrated when Wonshik decided to suddenly just go get toilet paper, immediately seeing through the lie because they had just restocked it a few days ago. Wonshik was so adorable when he was like this, like a little pup overhearing it was going to the park, that Hakyeon couldn’t even pretend to be mad. So with just himself in the store he set out a sign that said to just yell for service, heading to the back to continue working. Usually just the little door chime would be enough but the bigger electric mixers tended to be quite loud. 

It wasn’t more than ten minutes later when the familiar figure from across the street strolled into what had basically become his second job; at least a couple customers mistook Taekwoon for a worker each time he visited. In his defense he had helped package up orders a handful of times when they were really busy. Wonshik made sure to keep to the kitchen during those times Taekwoon lingered which meant Hakyeon was left alone out front to combat the swarms of people

Taekwoon’s eyes glanced over the sign by the register before shifting over to the kitchen door; he wasn’t someone who yelled. Instead he pushed the swinging door open himself to find quite the sight: Hakyeon had his phone blaring at full volume over the noise of one of the mixers, swinging his hips in perfect sync and mimicry to some girl group dance song as he rolled out some dough and his hips. 

When Taekwoon managed to hear the song once the mixer had stopped he was able to deduce it was from a group called Kara, remembering a group of teenage boys that had been talking their hormonal selves hoarse about what would become the infamous “butt dance.” Taekwoon sunk his teeth into his bottom lip, trying so hard not to laugh but in the process he let out a rather unattractive snort instead. 

Hakyeon stopped as he thought he heard something, using his elbow to hit the pause button on his phone as he turned around, “Oh! Taekwoonie! You scared me!” 

He wiped his flour-covered hands on his apron before bouncing over and giving him a hug, friendly smile on his face, “Did you get off early today?” A nod, “Perfect! You can help me then!” 

Before Taekwoon even had a chance to even think about making some sort of excuse Hakyeon had darted off and returned with an extra apron for him, one of his spare white ones stitched with “Bakers bring in all the dough” across the breast. Taekwoon felt the garment slipped over his head and himself being spun around then nimble fingers twisting the strings into a perfect bow before he could fully process what was happening.

“Wah! So cute!” 

Was Hakyeon really the same age as him? 

“I already made the dough so just take the cookie cutters, pick whatever shapes you want we have tons, and cut out the shapes then put them on the tray. Be sure to rub Crisco on it first so they don’t stick to the pan, ok? I have to make the frosting.” 

Settling Taekwoon into where he had been previously working, Hakyeon then set to work at a smaller station off to the side, “Oh, my phone is unlocked, feel free to play whatever music you want!” 

Taekwoon loved music for various reasons that he didn't bother to list out in his thoughts right now. One of them though definitely entailed how songs expressed his feelings without him having to; and as he glanced at the device sitting atop the counter, he stated more than asked, "Wonshik-ssi is gone." 

When Hakyeon gave him a confirming nod and mentioned he was out running an errand, this odd feeling flooded through him. It was warmth possibly in the form of anxiety, Taekwoon's ears shading to a light rose color. Wonshik was rarely gone, always just one room away from Hakyeon, his presence finding a way to hover over them despite the separation of walls. However, now to be alone with Hakyeon who was currently mixing something creamy in a bowl, Taekwoon's butterfly nerves transformed into a boldness. Could it be that Hakyeon was actually planning all of this? To sweep Taekwoon up and be alone with him while swinging his hips to the song? There was only one way to find out. Taekwoon, who normally wouldn't let curiosity get the best of him, felt that if he was ever going to make anything happen, it would have to be now. Quite competitive and ambitious, even for one who settled at a small coffee shop, he rationally understood having the rooster away from the hen would be the only way. 

Stepping over to Hakyeon’s phone, it was with a few press of buttons that he was pulling up a song of his choice. This song was by a well-known American artist who specialized in R&B, Trey Songz. The rhythm was different from the upbeat tempo of Kara, bringing the mood to a more bass-heavy slower tune where the sultry voices were enough to betray the message. Even with the language barrier, the words such as "touching" and "loving" stood out clear. Satisfied, Taekwoon stepped over to his spot again and picked out a star shape, starting to press out the image into the flattened dough. Meanwhile, he side-glanced over to Hakyeon, wondering what this song would coerce from his body in dance. 

The song was only white noise to Hakyeon right now, his focus entirely on creating just the right frosting to go on the cookies. He always went into a little world of his own when it came to the fillings and spreads that went on the desserts, those requiring more care and precision because they were the taste that brought the whole pastry together, gave it that extra zing to make it more than just delicious, but absolutely delicious. When the seductive words finally pierced Hakyeon’s concentration his brows shot up and he twisted his head to peek at the other over his shoulder, “Taekwoonie! This song is so sexy!” 

Hakyeon couldn’t fight the grin tugging at his lips, not expecting a song like this to come from such a reserved individual as Taekwoon, “Do you have this sexy little side to you that I don’t know about? Is that why all those girls are always flirting with you at the coffee shop?” 

He brought a hand up to giggle into the back of it as a thought crossed his mind: Taekwoon dancing on the cafe counter, swinging his apron around around his head and shaking his hips to a collection of songs like the one playing. 

"Whatever you're thinking, stop." Taekwoon shot him a narrowed look, for he knew that look on Hakyeon's face. He was getting weird ideas, ones that were a far cry from what Taekwoon would normally do. His words were also meant as a very strict 'No', not the type to exhibit sexy material--not like Hakyen who evidently had a natural knack for it. 

Hakyeon set the mixing bowl he was working in down and shuffled sideways towards Taekwoon, one step then a pause, another step, another pause, “Taekwoonie…do you ever just let loose and have fun?” 

He was side by side with Taekwoon now, only shifting his gaze to glance up from the corner of his eyes, “You’re always sitting or standing so stiff and manner-like...if I didn’t know any better I’d think you’re a robot. Are you a robot?” 

Hakyeon stepped around behind Taekwoon now, poking along his sides and back as if looking for something, “There has to be a plug somewhere…” 

"I'm not and there isn't...!" 

Those fingers poking at him made Taekwoon become even more tense, his elbows briefly tightening at his sides as he dropped the cookie cutter, almost regretting putting a song like this on--almost. As much as Taekwoon feigned disliking the attention and touches that Hakyeon showered on him, he honestly loved it; he would bathe and drown in it if he could. 

The song ended and shuffled into another of the same style, the smooth tempo causing Hakyeon to automatically begin nodding his head along with the beat; Wonshik always teased him that he was like a living metronome, always on beat with whatever song they listened to and unable to sit still. 

“Can you dance?” The question came out of the blue, brought to Hakyeon’s mind as he was taking in the Taekwoon’s body while probing for some indication he wasn’t exactly human: the lithe arms, long legs, and broad shoulders piqued his curiosity. 

He had managed to figuratively wrestle out of Taekwoon that he liked to play soccer, which was evident by the toned thighs his jeans were currently hugging. It became even more clear as Hakyeon put his hands on Taekwoon’s waist and began to twist his hips back and forth in time with the music, feeling the muscles beneath his fingertips, “You’ve got such long arms and legs they’d have to be good for some sort of dancing!” 

Hakyeon noted that Taekwoon’s build was similar to Wonshik’s in some ways: both had firm muscles, toned upper bodies that shirts fit well on, far too well. But they had their differences: Taekwoon’s muscles seemed to be more lean and willowy like a cat, a black cat, Hakyeon decided given Taekwoon's current hair color and nonchalant personality. Wonshik had a more sturdy, stocky look to him. A bear, fitting considering he sounded like one when he slept. 

The way in which Hakyeon forced Taekwoon's hips to move, swishing side to side like a stiff set of gears that needed oil, caused Taekwoon to dip his chin in embarrassment. The top of his head was the only sign of him willing to face the world, his ears now a stark red as the sheepishness constricted him. His hands lifted in a gesture of prayer, or maybe just a clap where his hands glued together, mainly for hiding any other signs of his expression. Taekwoon didn’t last long for he abruptly turned, his quiet voice going trill as he pleaded, “That’s en--” 

What he didn’t anticipate was Hakyeon being thrown off by his sudden turn, Hakyeon normally appearing so graceful and light on his feet. Then again, there were times Taekwoon saw Hakyeon’s above-average balance slip up, like how he was leaning on the counter one day and for no reason just leaned too much to one side, flopping over as his arms flung out to grab onto the nearby glass display case. It always caused a smile, such foolish reminders that Hakyeon indeed was human, and not constructed of some ethereal matter. So now, when one of his rare episodes of clumsiness showed, Taekwoon wasn’t expecting it. 

Hakyeon had toppled forward, a yelp whooping out, and there was sudden weight on Taekwoon accompanied by a slapping noise of a hand finding the countertop. When Taekwoon dared to open his eyes, terrified of what he would see, it was in that very clear moment that Taekwoon’s boldness burst through his walls of reservation and hesitance, sending debris flying and paving the way for his golden opportunity. 

Hakyeon was fully against him, one hand slipped past him, having caught himself on the counter. The other hand was on his lower abdomen, fingers gripping hard into his shirt, while alas, it was the placement of his thighs, puzzling with his own, and Hakyeon’s face, mere inches from his, that had Taekwoon’s heart cooking up its own storm. Erratic in his chest, Taekwoon didn’t think twice about what he was doing. One hand fumbled for the Hakyeon’s apron, while his other cupped the dark-skinned cheek, his palm clammy but surprisingly steady. And Taekwoon leaned in, eyes shutting again for he couldn’t bare to witness the surprise in Hakyeon’s eyes as he closed the distance between their lips. 

The sweet chef’s lips were just as sweet as he imagined; Taekwoon imagined the sweetest on the sweet scale. Rich with hints of vanilla, soft like the flakes of cream puffs, overwhelming like the first bite into a ripe, juicy plum--Taekwoon tasted the sweetest treat he ever had in his life. 

Taekwoon tasted just how Hakyeon would have imagined he did, if he had ever imagined it, which he hadn’t because he would have never, not even for a split second, considered cheating on Wonshik physically or in thought. But there was no stopping the flavor of the lips that penetrated Hakyeon's taste buds, a bit strong with the bitter taste of coffee but laced with the steamed milk of a latte. It was a stark contrast to the sugary sweet kisses of Wonshik’s lips which were flavored with leftover samplings from that day’s baking. 

“Taekwoon, stop!” 

Hakyeon’s words were muffled by the pressure of the lips against his own. The kiss was intentional and demanding with no hesitation, like Taekwoon had been building himself up for a moment like this. This wasn’t an accident as a result of some little slip. Hakyeon immediately turned his face away and stumbled back, clasping a hand over his mouth as if his lips were horrifically disfigured now and he couldn’t bare anyone seeing. Only they weren’t disfigured, but they were tainted. 

Once the initial shock wore off, his eyes still stretched open, they didn’t portray any fear or disgust. Taekwoon was his friend, there was no reason to feel those things, but he was confused. Sure a small part of him had an idea that maybe Taekwon had lingering feelings for him, Hakyeon wouldn’t deny their connection or finding the other man attractive as well though his personal feelings were platonic, but he had always gone about believing that if he didn’t address them or change how he acted once he realized someone’s feelings, that they would just go away. 

Don’t ask, don’t tell. 

Well, it hadn’t worked in Jaehwan’s case but that had just ended with cookies and an appreciative “thanks but no thanks” to a date. Jaehwan had never kissed him. No one had kissed him besides Wonshik in over two years. Wonshik. His boyfriend. What was he going to think? 

“Wonshik…” Hakyeon felt tears brimming at his eyes and his stomach twisting into knots. He knew he had to tell Wonshik, and he knew Wonshik was going to be hurt. All he could think about was just how much this was going to hurt him. Kim Wonshik loved him so damn much and this was going to tear him apart especially when he heard who it had been with. This was going to be more crushing than their fight when Wonshik had demanded that Hakyeon stop “flirting” so much with Taekwoon, Hakyeon denying doing any such thing and refusing to give up their friendship. They didn’t speak for hours, a long time given the nature of their relationship, until Wonshik saw that Hakyeon was still acting like his usual self around Taekwoon, no special treatment, just his vivacious personality and Wonshik couldn’t stay mad at Hakyeon for being what he had fallen in love with. 

“He’s going to hate me…” Hakyeon’s voice was barely a whisper, his chest rising and falling more rapidly as his emotions began to boil over, “He’s going to dump me…” Hakyeon choked back a sob as he slumped to the ground, shaking legs giving way as his stomach lurched again as well. He felt sick. Wonshik was going to break up with him.

Watching Hakyeon's meltdown after the kiss was heart breaking. Horrendous and horrifying and absolutely unacceptable--that's how Taekwoon felt. The clench in Taekwoon's chest as his heart suddenly plummeted down to his gut made him nauseous. But he couldn’t flee, not when Hakyeon looked so troubled. And although he was the main source of Hakyeon's distraught, he was also the only friend around and he certainly couldn’t leave Hakyeon here to wallow in his wrecked state. Dropping down to his knees by him, Taekwoon immediately started shaking his head, a hand rising, hesitating for a split second before swallowing back his fear. He started rubbing at Hakyeon’s back, a slow, comforting motion despite how fast he could see the Hakyeon’s shallow breaths shuddering out in panic. After getting a grip on himself, he finally spoke, voice holding this strict edge with more volume to it than he’d ever used before, “He’s not going to hate you. And he won’t leave you.” 

Taekwoon bit at his lower lip, the same one that was previously pressed to Hakyeon’s, the warmth absent as now only regret flooded through him. “He loves you.” His lip slipped free from his teeth like how he let go of all his hope. Taekwoon had miscalculated to such a high degree that he couldn’t forgive himself. Usually he was astute and careful, always thinking about the consequences before making such decisions--today, he was rash and bold, and now look where it landed them. Hakyeon fighting back the tears as he struggled even more to just breathe. Taekwoon kneeled on the cold floor, trying to soothe back any sort of sense into him, “If anything, he’ll kill me,” Taekwoon tried to assure, voice lowering again, already predicting the expression on Wonshik. He was sure Wonshik’s eyes would turn black and he’d launch his hands straight for his throat. Taekwoon was almost at a point of letting him kill him, for how much pain he suddenly thrust onto the kind-hearted baker before him. But as much as he cared about Hakyeon, he would never actually let himself die by the hands of Wonshik. 

“....Hakyeon,” he grimaced, somehow feeling like he was tainting the name by letting it pass over his vocal chords. “It’ll be alright. He’ll understand it was done by me, not you.” 

As good intentioned as Taekwoon’s words were they breezed right over Hakyeon’s ears, only hearing muffled gibberish as he tried to fight back the look of utter betrayal he knew would disfigure Wonshik’s handsome face that was tormenting his mind. What should have been a comforting touch only caused him to tense and pull away, immediately feeling a twinge of guilt because he could at least tell by the tone of Taekwoon’s voice, even if he wasn’t hearing the words, that he was genuinely sorry, but sorry wasn’t going to make Wonshik forgive either of them, “You...you need to leave.” His voice cracked, strained from crying, and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Taekwoon, knowing whatever bit of courage he had mustered to tell him to leave would completely break and he’d probably end up in Taekwoon’s arms, allowing him to comfort him, which would make an already devastating situation completely unbearable for Wonshik. 

Taekwoon’s heart felt like it had been ripped to pieces completely in his chest, wanting so badly to argue, to fight to stay, but he knew it would be better if he left; Hakyeon wouldn’t have been asking if he didn’t absolutely need him to. So with a silent nod his hand fell from Hakyeon’s warm back and he stood, then left. Once Hakyeon was sure Taekwoon had departed, he spent the next while composing himself. He splashed cold water over his face in the bathroom, trying to lessen the swelling of his red, puffy lids. He flinched as his hands skimmed over his lips, his mind flashing back to the warmth that had just been pressed to them only moments ago; it took all his strength not to break down again, shutting his eyes tightly as he gripped the porcelain sink and willed himself to keep it together. 

“Hakyeonie-hyung! I’m back!” Wonshik’s deep voice rose over the running water, Hakyeon struggling to turn the faucet off and grab some of the paper towels to dry his face, praying the redness in his eyes had dulled enough, “Ah, Shikie!” There was a break in his voice as he tried to bring it up to its usual cheerful octave but seeing Wonshik waiting for him with such a wide, loving smile spread across his features he felt his stomach lurch. 

“Oh, your eyes are red. What happened?” Wonshik inquired, leaning in for a closer look and to try and steal a kiss. Hakyeon instantly recoiled, turning his gaze away and fumbling with drying his hands off in his apron to try and distract himself, “Ah, yeah...I got...flour in my eye. Silly me, huh?” 

Hakyeon was a terrible liar, he knew it and Wonshik knew it. Try as he may, he could never keep his facial expressions from disproving whatever false words he chose to expel from his mouth. Wonshik also knew that Hakyeon didn’t lie and if he was lying now then something big had happened. However, this wasn’t the time or place to talk about it. As much as he wanted his proper greeting and to wrap up Hakyeon into his arms and tell him everything was fine, he let him be.

The last few hours in the store dragged on, Hakyeon clearly not himself and growing more and more frustrated as batch after batch of frosting didn’t match up to his standards. The patbingsoo Wonshik had bought for Hakyeon was left uneaten, forgotten by Wonshik's concern. Hakyeon looked so weighted down, Wonshik just trying to cheer him up in any way but it was clear there was something bigger in the picture. After he remembered it was there an hour later, the red bean had already melted with the shaved ice, the mixture a clumpy soup of flavors. All Wonshik could do was stand by and watch helplessly. He had tried to comfort Hakyeon, walking over to rest a hand on his shoulder and press his lips to his cheek but Hakyeon had acted like Wonshik’s touch was a painful jolt. Hakyeon jumped away as the bowl in his hands dropped to the ground with a clatter, partially mixed whipped topping dotting the floor. Never had Hakyeon avoided Wonshik's touch like he had the rest of the evening. 

Hakyeon bent down to wipe the spill up with a rag without a word, Wonshik stepping back to his own area of the kitchen to try and finish his work. He wanted to close the bakery but knew there was still too much to prepare for the weekend.Hakyeon was still silent even after the bakery was closed up and they began the short walk home. Wonshik thought he saw Hakyeon tense again as his gaze passed over the coffee shop across the street but he couldn’t be sure. Once inside their apartment Wonshik didn’t even bother with taking his coat and shoes off before asking, “Hakyeonie, what’s-”

“Taekwoon kissed me.” 

There was no point in dragging the inevitable out, in trying to figure out a way to dance around it to spare Wonshik’s feelings because it would have been a waste of time. Hakyeon couldn’t keep it inside any longer, couldn’t keep it from Wonshik. Hakyeon just stood in the doorway with his hands at his side, head tilted completely down as he felt shame wash over his entire body, tears already stinging his eyes again. Nothing was more terrifying than the silence between them as he waited for Wonshik’s reaction. 

Everything screeched to a stop. The world, the apartment, his heart. The answer blew all of his guesses out the water. He tried to piece together what could be subjecting Hakyeon to be distant. So now as Hakyeon suddenly vomited what had been clogging him up all day--Wonshik's voice cracked, "W-What?"

When Hakyeon heard the crack of Wonshik's voice it felt like his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach; he felt sick again, like he was going to literally vomit now. He had braced himself for the yelling, the screaming, the shouts of despair berating Hakyeon for how he could have done such a horrible thing, to betray their love like that. Each pause felt like an eternity and only worsened the wrenching in his gut, waiting, just waiting for Wonshik to explode. It's wasn't as if Wonshik hadn't heard it and needed it repeated; in fact he'd prefer to never hear those words again, but he was questioning really how that could even happen. What happened in the time span of him going off for just an hour for something that incredulous to happen. How could Hakyeon let Taekwoon come over while he was out--how could that have happened?

"How? How did it happen?" 

Wonshik stood there like a statue, too afraid if he moved it'd be for the doorknob, stalking right out of there. It wasn't that he was upset for Hakyeon letting it happen. No, if it was truly forced on him, then he could never blame Hakyeon. But it was the insecure part of Wonshik--the hole in his confidence that was closing up over these past couple of days, just to suddenly be kicked open wider, torn right apart and leaving him gaping, vulnerable and afraid. 

Now it was Hakyeon’s turn to be shocked, but not from the question. The question was expected, owing Wonshik nothing less than the truth which Hakyeon fully intended to give him. But it was the calm and even tone of Wonshik’s voice rendering him practically speechless, fumbling over his words, “Taek-he stopped by…I asked for help....he was just helping...”

Wonshik was afraid Hakyeon wanted the kiss to happen, that he was only feeling guilty because Hakyeon still wanted him of course; that whole phrase of having the cake and eating it, too. That he secretly wanted both Wonshik and Taekwoon. That was what it boiled down to, and Wonshik felt the bottled up emotion start to leak out, drop by drop while his features slowly started tensing. His hands began to shake as he reached up, trying to take his coat off but the outerwear felt far too heavy, like a ton of bricks buckling him down. Wonshik was always the more emotionally stable of the two of them, always managing to keep his composure no matter what the situation. It was one of the many things Hakyeon loved about him.

Hakyeon recalled the day of their final evaluation, standing before the panel of judges more nervous than he had been for his first date with Wonshik while awaiting their critique. 

“Delicious.”   
“Equisite. Very innovative.”   
“I’ve never tasted something quite like this before, it’s refreshing.”

Hakyeon would have jumped through the roof if he was physically capable but settled for grabbing Wonshik’s hands and hopping in place instead. Wonshik was a bit embarrassed at his behavior in front of such respected bakers but thankfully they just found it endearing. Wonshik bowed apologies as he dragged his bunny boyfriend out of the room. 

“Wonshikie! We graduated! Why aren’t you more excited?!” 

“You’re excited enough for the both of us, hyung.” Wonshik answered with a chuckle, caging Hakyeon in his arms once they were alone and silencing him with a kiss, “We’ll have our own celebration tonight.” The sly gleam Hakyeon saw in Wonshik's eyes was enough to make him blush to the tips of his ears. 

"Wait, don't say anything else," Wonshik pleaded, his eyebrows raising up in the center, knowing he was trying damn hard to cling onto his last bits of patience and composure. He actually didn't want to hear whatever Hakyeon had to say, not needing the visual images to go along with it.

Relief. 

"Just tell me...It meant nothing, right? You didn't feel anything, yeah?" 

The hope in Wonshik's gaze was quickly deteriorating, a million thoughts running through his mind how Hakyeon was so broken inside because Hakyeon actually enjoyed it. Hakyeon probably thought he would never feel that spark again, not until Taekwoon kissed him and he had an epiphany that he could feel the same intense and hot attraction for another person. That had to be what Hakyeon was struggling with now. 

“Of course it meant nothing!” Hakyeon was so quick to blurt the words, louder than he anticipated, that he was afraid Wonshik wasn’t going to believe them. He had risen his head to look at Wonshik when he unintentionally shouted but the look on his face made him tuck his chin right back into his chest, “It meant nothing, absolutely nothing.” Hakyeon offered again more softly, his throat threatening to seal off whatever air he was trying to get into his lungs. 

Hearing those words almost alleviated the tension in Wonshik--almost. A whole other slew of worries started bubbling up, taking the place of the previous ones. Like if it meant nothing, why did Wonshik still feel the knot in his stomach that wrapped around his throat as well. Hakyeon took one step towards Wonshik, then another, slowly lifting his arms to wrap them around Wonshik's large frame; he doubted Wonshik wanted him touching him right now but Hakyeon needed to for his own selfish reasons. He needed to make sure that Wonshik was going to stay right there, that he wasn’t going to run away. His forehead pressed into Wonshik’s chest, unable to stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks and sprinkling wet circles onto Wonshik’s shirt, “I love you…” His voice was shaky, trying to keep himself from breaking into loud sobs, “I didn’t kiss him back...please don’t hate me. I love you so much, Kim Wonshik. I can’t lose you...please...I’m so sorry…” 

The apologies pouring from Hakyeon wrenched at Wonshik more, pulling him further apart and leaving him defeated. How was he to keep his defenses up when Hakyeon was curling against him so feebly, begging with him in those weak syllables that could break if he even breathed on them. Slowly his arms came up, winding around Hakyeon’s smaller frame carefully. Hakyeon was fragile in this moment, and although Wonshik was deeply hurt, he still couldn’t place the blame on him. He always wished for Hakyeon’s happiness, for him to live a life with someone he deserved for he was majestically wonderful. To further wrench Hakyeon apart while he was clearly down just wouldn’t be right. 

“I believe you,” was all he could say. Wonshik’s low voice was soft and gentle, his breathing surprisingly steady. All of his tied emotions were quickly unwinding, his mind still quite a stir as the questions and thoughts and doubts still stormed about. But he could at least inhale oxygen now, and he could hold Hakyeon delicately. Finally lowering his arms, hinting at how he needed the space now, Wonshik’s eyes didn’t lift to meet Hakyeon’s. They couldn’t, too pulled down by gravity and insecurity, “It’s late, we’re both tired. Let’s just sleep, yeah?” That was code for Wonshik tat he couldn’t bear to be awake for much longer. Sleep sounded like the closest to escaping right now, whether or not he would actually be able to. 

Reassurance was all Hakyeon needed right now, knowing it wouldn’t be fair to ask for or expect more than that; Wonshik believed him, that’s what was most important. All too soon the safe arms left him, wanting so badly to keep his wrapped tightly around Wonshik but he lowered them as well. Both of them still needed to recover. Sleep sounded promising, Hakyeon not realizing just how drained he was physically and emotionally until it had been mentioned. He nodded in agreement, fingers grazing Wonshik’s hand to grab it but he stopped, letting them fall to his side as he shuffled silently back to their bedroom. Too exhausted to be bothered to shower, Hakyeon's work clothes were stripped and tossed into a pile in the corner before he tugged on his pajamas: a pair of boxers and one of Wonshik’s oversized t-shirts he had “borrowed” but never returned. 

Still nothing was spoken between them as Wonshik also readied himself for bed, crawling into his side but not waiting for Hakyeon as he pulled the covers over himself. It stung, but Hakyeon had no right to be mad; he was the one that had screwed up. Wonshik’s back was turned to him as Hakyeon’s light weight pressed into the mattress, taking a moment to look over at him, itching to touch him, to hold him, to kiss him. Hakyeon's heart twisted in his chest again, lower lip stuck between his teeth as he fought with himself what to do, “I love you, Wonshikie.” 

Hakyeon pulled his half of the blankets over himself and fell into a restless slumber, tossing and turning throughout the night as his mind was plagued with flashbacks of bitter-tasting lips that weren’t Wonshik’s, dark eyes that weren’t Wonshik’s, everything that wasn’t Wonshik. He fell asleep without his goodnight kiss for the first time in almost two years.

-☆--☆--☆-

It felt like only a couple hours later the digital clock on the bedside table was buzzing, Hakyeon reaching a lazy hand over to slap the snooze button for Wonshik, like he usually did, before pulling his disheveled self from the bed to get ready. 

“Wonshikie, it’s time to wake up.” 

A sudden snore startled him as Wonshik groaned and swatted at him, whining something about “ten more minutes”; this was usually how their mornings went and for a second Hakyeon forgot that thing that had happened yesterday. It took yanking on Wonshik’s arm and stripping him of the blanket’s warmth before Wonshik finally groaned and sat up, hair standing on end from the static of his pillow. Hakyeon left him to go into the kitchen, soon the bubbling sound of the coffee maker was filling the area with the scent of the ground beans. He pulled two yogurts from the fridge for them as well; it was important to have a healthy breakfast to start the day. 

Followed by a silent walk to the bakery, the time there wasn’t an improvement. 

This was the longest Hakyeon had gone without talking to Wonshik. What was usually him blabbering on about whatever was on his mind and Wonshik chiming in at the appropriate times with a comment, laugh, or joke of his own had turned into only the most brief exchanges of asking for a spatula or where the extra sugar was put. Besides that business operated as normal, Hakyeon spending his time handling the front of the store while Wonshik baked in back. Their customers didn’t suspect a thing. If someone inquired about Wonshik, Hakyeon told them he was finishing up preparations for their big celebration the next day, which wasn’t a lie. 

Hakyeon grew nervous as time drew closer to the afternoon hours, terrified that Taekwoon was going to show up and--no, he wasn’t going to think about that. He busied himself with decorating the lobby during slow periods, crossing blue and yellow streamers along the front of the display case, blowing up white balloons to hang as accents, and cutting out gold paper stars he was planning to hang from the ceiling with some string. He was hunched over the counter tracing out the five-pointed shape when the light chime of their doorbell drew his attention, “Hello! Welcome to-” 

Taekwoon was standing in the doorway. Hakyeon felt his entire body go numb, certain he was frozen right to the core. Taekwoon appeared calm, albeit his shoulders being hunched more than usual. Walking up to the counter, not even addressing the other with a greeting, he abruptly ordered one of the newly added green tea cream puffs. After the fiasco yesterday, Taekwoon had spent the whole night yearning for something sweet to curb his misery and guilt. He didn’t know how the bakery couple faired out, the lifeless look on Hakyeon’s face giving him some clues already. Unable to meet Hakyeon’s gaze as he handed him money, Taekwoon hoped he wouldn’t mention how today he had visited without a green tea latte in hand. Taekwoon felt like he didn’t deserve to give Hakyeon one. 

Hakyeon didn’t know whether he was glad Taekwoon didn’t bring up yesterday or not; in his mind he had a million things he could have said to Taekwoon but he couldn’t bring himself to voice any of them, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself together long enough to. So he took the money silently, eyes looking anywhere but at Taekwoon. As Taekwoon took the cream puff, barely casting Hakyeon a grateful nod, Taekwoon sat down at one of the small two-person tables. Diligently holding it up to his lips, he took the first bite, chewed, and then stopped. For the first time in nearly a year, Taekwoon actually looked repulsed. Silently standing up, he walked over to the entrance door and flipped the sign to ‘Closed’. 

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon finally spoke.Hakyeon felt a sick twisting in his stomach when Taekwoon finally addressed him, stilling from where he was rearranging some tarts and just waiting, not looking towards him. 

“Go home early.” 

Taekwoon didn’t think he had the authority to order him to, but judging by the lack of sugar and the completely bland taste in the cream puff, Hakyeon really needed to leave. When Hakyeon started to protest, Taekwoon cut him off, “The cream puff was awful.” That earned a surprised look on Hakyeon’s face, hurt mixed in as he shamefully looked away. 

“There’s only an hour left. Everyone will understand since tomorrow is your big day,” Taekwoon finished with more gentleness. Those words seemed to work, for Hakyeon exhaled slowly and his whole body deflated like a worn out balloon. What surprised Taekwoon though, was that Hakyeon didn’t even go to the back to let Wonshik know. He must’ve been in a trance or too defeated to think Wonshik would want to see his face right now. The last thing Hakyeon wanted was to leave Taekwoon alone with Wonshik, fearing mostly for Taekwoon’s safety. He had never seen Wonshik get angry and couldn’t imagine it was something another person would live to tell about. But arguing with Taekwoon would only cause a scene and, now that he thought about it, that would be worse for Wonshik to walk into. Leaving his apron folded on the counter, Hakyeon quietly headed to the door with a mumbled, “See you later.” The store bell rang as the door slowly fell shut. 

Since Taekwoon knew this was caused by his own selfish desires, he felt responsible to fix it. Clearly Hakyeon and Wonshik did not resolve anything. It was strange to think that not even 24 hours ago, Taekwoon was alone in this place with Hakyeon. He was ready to give his whole self to the luminous pastry chef. Now here he was, about to make amends with Wonshik on behalf of Hakyeon. When Taekwoon pushed the door open, Wonshik didn’t even glance his way. He did ask though, “How are things going up there?” thinking it was Hakyeon coming back to get more pastries. Wonshik was occupied with rolling out a dough. By the looks of it, he had rolled it out too many times, the poor unbaked mix flatter than a pancake. 

Taekwoon cleared his throat. The way Wonshik snapped his eyes over at the unfamiliar sound caused Taekwoon to stumble back a step. There was clear hatred in Wonshik's eyes when he saw Taekwoon by the door. 

“What are you doing here?” His voice took on a gravelly suspicion. 

Taekwoon had to quickly remind himself that the only reason he was doing all of this was for Hakyeon. Wonshik needed to hear him out whether he wanted to or not. 

“Listen, what happened yesterday…” 

-☆--☆--☆-

Wonshik was sitting across from Hakyeon at the dinner table. The stew Hakyeon made needed more salt and the potatoes had been cooked for too long. Wonshik also wondered if Hakyeon knew just how long he’d been sitting there, spoon held halfway to his mouth, gaze lowered as he was lost in thought. 

“Hey,” Wonshik finally piped up, curious to see how Hakyeon would respond. “Are you gonna eat or just sit there?” 

The spoon slipped from Hakyeon’s fingers as he was jolted back to reality, hitting the table with a slight noise and spilling the cold bite of food that he had been holding. 

“I’m not hungry.” He answered quietly. Hakyeon hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what possible scenarios could have happened between Taekwoon and Wonshik. Was Taekwoon laying dead in a ditch somewhere? Had Wonshik told Taekwoon he was going to break up with him? Wonshik hadn’t said a word since he had gotten home until now. 

Getting up from his seat, Hakyeon went over to the counter to grab a paper towel and wipe up the mess he had made, biting his lip nervously as he was unable to resist not asking any longer, “What...what did Taekwoon say to you?” His gaze lifted to meet briefly with Wonshik’s before sliding away, staring at the soiled, crumpled paper towel in his hand. 

Gaping for a moment, like a fish out of water, Wonshik already came to his decision, how he was going to bring it up was the issue. Suddenly being confronted with it, he realized very quickly how he hadn’t figured that part out yet. 

“He told me he had kissed you,” Wonshik started, raising his brown eyes to Hakyeon, even if he couldn’t meet his yet. “But that it wasn’t provoked by anything in particular. He’d just been grabbing onto hope for so long that he finally cracked.”

So Taekwoon had told Wonshik. Hakyeon had expected that he would but to hear it actually confirmed made his heart clench in a painful reminder of his betrayal. Wonshik remembered the expression in which Taekwoon shared this. Although he felt zero empathy, still bitter that Taekwoon would even drag Hakyeon into a scenario that would hurt him, he did feel pity. He always knew Taekwoon had feelings for Hakyeon and for them to linger on this long without any reciprocation must’ve been heartbreaking. But it still left no excuse for Taekwoon to do what he did. 

Taking a deep breath due to his anger rising again, Wonshik reminded himself he was entering this conversation with a peace of mind. Wonshik concluded earlier that it was pointless to throw a punch to Taekwoon’s face, despite how much he really wanted to see him fly. This hatred he had was draining him more than it should; without Hakyeon’s constant touches and those smiles full of love, Wonshik was a different man. He was void of his usual energy and love of life--his love for baking felt so empty today. Hakyeon didn’t know whether he should say something, whether it was appropriate to say something. And what even could he say? He had already told Wonshik it had meant nothing and he couldn’t place more blame on Taekwoon that he already had. Should he tell Wonshik it was his fault for even asking Taekwoon to help, that this all could have been avoided? 

“He also said that I should stop being upset and should forgive you,” Wonshik let his words hang in the air, for Hakyeon to lace his fingers around and hold onto. 

Hakyeon felt the guilt making itself at home in the pit of his stomach again. It was a nasty combination of feeling bad that Taekwoon had had to ask that of Wonshik knowing full well how hard that had to have been considering his feelings, blended together with the stabbing pain that he was feeling this with Wonshik merely feet away from him. 

“I’m sorry…for being angry with you. I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for not forgiving you the moment you told me it meant nothing.” 

Tears were falling down Hakyeon’s face before the apology had fully set in, his body processing the words before his mind had a chance to fully grasp them. In a few steps he was at Wonshik, kneeling down beside his chair and clutching him around the waist. His body shook as he cried, head tucked against Wonshik’s stomach. All the fear Hakyeon had built up around the possibility of Wonshik breaking up with him had come crumbling down so sharply as if it were made of glass, piercing his heart and causing him to bleed out. Wonshik immediately wrapped his arms around Hakyeon's shoulders, squeezing him the best he could. Seeing the tears fall from Hakyeon's beautiful face only caused him to cling harder; he always hated seeing his lover cry, Hakyeon always too bright of a person to be wrenched in sobs. 

“I’m sorry too. I’m so sorry you had to go through that...that this...ever happened. I never wanted to hurt you, Shikie...never...” Hakyeon managed to choke out an apology of his own, his arms holding tighter in case this was all just a dream and he was going to wake up in his bed with an empty space beside him. The last day had felt like months. He and Wonshik had never had a fight like this before, blessed more than most couples in that regard; some couples probably wouldn’t have considered this much of a fight at all, really. When he felt Hakyeon calm down, Wonshik began to ease him away from, peering down with what he hoped was only love in his eyes. "I have something for you, Hakyeonie," he used the informality only for special occasions, it made him feel that much closer to Hakyeon. 

“Something for me?” Hakyeon lifted his eyes, feeling his heart warm to see Wonshik gazing at him in that way, curiosity immediately piqued. As much as he disliked not knowing about something he did love surprises and it had to be something big for Wonshik to address him by that nickname.

Slowly standing up, Wonshik helped Hakyeon sit on the chair in his place. "Be right back," he lifted a finger to signal he needed to hold on just a moment longer. There was vivid excitement in his eyes as he hurried off. Hakyeon sat anxiously in the seat, leg twitching and foot tapping against the wooden floor; he couldn’t even imagine what sort of something he was about to get. The excitement he saw in Wonshik as he had rushed off only made Hakyeon's mind spin more as there were so many things Wonshik could be excited about: a new dessert recipe to try, a fun movie for them to watch, five thousand won he had stuffed into his jacket pocket weeks ago and now just found again. Wonshik knew Hakyeon would love what he was going to present to him. After he realized how much he didn't want to lose Hakyeon, that life without his cutest and sweetest pastry chef felt bland, he became more resolved in his decision. 

Returning to the kitchen, he saw Hakyeon sitting there, looking absolutely stunning with his flushed cheeks and slightly red eyes. Clearing his throat about a hundred times, licking at his lips that kept drying up, Wonshik nervously approached him. Hakyeon had been drumming his fingers on the table while he waited, chin perched in his other hand as his elbow rested on the table as well. He jumped when he heard Wonshik return, shifting in his seat to face him. His brows scrunched together as Hakyeon could notice the change in Wonshik’s demeanor: the excessive throat clearing and lip-licking, how he was fidgeting from side to side, and the fact he was clearly hiding something behind his back and his handsome face was shifting expressions at a rapid rate. 

“Shikie...what is it? Are you ok?” Hakyeon has never seen him so nervous before, wondering if there needed to be cause for him to worry. 

Without saying another word, terrified he would ruin the monumental moment, all at once Wonshik slowly lowered onto one knee and held up the velvet square case. 

“Wonshik…” Hakyeon started, an almost warning tone to his voice. He had seen scenes like this play out far too often in all the romantic comedies he made Wonshik watch with him, knowing Wonshik secretly loved them just as much as he did, to not know what was coming next. He was quickly cut off. 

"Hakyeonie," Wonshik began, "I never want to lose you. You've been my sweetest inspiration since we met. Without you, everything is flavorless and boring." 

Wonshik watched the transformation in Hakyeon's features as he listened to him. Hakyeon was a sap, an emotional ball of, well, emotions. To say Hakyeon hadn’t envisioned his dream proposal would be a lie. He had concocted all sorts of crazy ideas ranging from a proposal on top of the Eiffel Tower with the city lit up at night beneath them to a tropical island getaway during the sunrise. But they weren’t all that extravagant, Hakyeon actually preferring something simpler, like maybe Wonshik presenting him with his favorite cupcake, red velvet, with the ring placed delicately atop the frosting as he woke up one morning. Something like this moment had never even crossed his mind, but then again he had never expected to have a fight with Wonshik. One thing all his daydreams and this moment had in common though was that Hakyeon knew he would cry. Even though it felt like he had cried everything out from the relief that Wonshik had forgiven him, there were droplets running silently down his cheeks again. 

Pulling the box gently open, his hands unsteady as his mind blanked, Wonshik gazed right up into Hakyeon's watery brown eyes, "Will you marry me?" 

Hakyeon didn’t consider himself a pretty crier. His eyes always got all red and puffy and his nose tended to run, but Wonshik had told him he always looked pretty, even when he was crying. He had never felt this overwhelmed before as he stared wide-eyed and open mouthed at the ring. It was a simple silver band with a small white diamond set in the middle of it. Catching the light it seemed to give the illusion of holding a rainbow, colors reflecting off the jewel and swirling together inside. Wonshik had picked it because it reminded him of his Hakyeon, simple but still so full of color. 

“Y-you’re...so stupid.” Hakyeon stuttered with a small chuckle as he used his long shirt sleeve to wipe at his running nose, forgoing the ring for now to grasp Wonshik’s face and pull him in for a passionate kiss. Hakyeon was used to his morning kisses, his goodnight kisses, and the uncountable number of kisses he received in between. It had only been a day since Hakyeon had last been able to kiss Wonshik but the fervor with which he kissed him made it feel as if they had been separated for years. Their lips melding together with barely space to breath, his tongue breaking the boundary into Wonshik’s mouth and savoring the sweet taste he had missed so much. Wonshik only returned the urgency behind the kiss. How hard he fumed in his anger and hurt only prevented him from pulling Hakyeon close and whisking him into the usual kisses. Now to indulge and to bask in feeling those warm lips embraced against his was everything Wonshik wanted in the world. When Hakyeon finally pulled back just enough to be able to speak, he kept his forehead pressed to Wonshik’s and smiled, eyes shining with love and adoration, “Do you think I would just let all my hard work of winning you over go to waste? Of course I’ll marry you.” 

A laugh pressed from Wonshik, all of his nerves flying out in a breathy exhale. The ends of his lips curled up, showing his delight. "Hyung, I was hoping you would say that." 

Wonshik picked Hakyeon up, right off the floor and twirled him around in the kitchen. Laughter filled the apartment. It was a vision worthy of a story book, meant for the eyes of anyone who wanted hope in the world. As they tucked themselves into bed that night, Wonshik stroked the ring on Hakyeon's finger. A smile stayed on both of their lips as they murmured steady "I love you"s. Curled up in one another's arms, their fingers linked and love blanketed them with more warmth than any covers could do. 

-☆--☆--☆-

It was the day of the big celebration. For the first time, Wonshik woke up with an early start, jumping out of bed and rushing to get ready. There was a miraculous amount of time still left, Hakyeon showing his surprise as he handed him his coffee as they walked out the door. Hakyeon had his arm through Wonshik’s blabbering on in his excitement about the day. They didn't make it far though, in fact just to the elevator, before Wonshik had his fiancé pinned to the lift wall; he was kissing along the row of Hakyeon's tan knuckles, saving his ring finger for last. 

“Shikie!” Hakyeon’s face immediately turned bright red once he felt himself trapped, eyes glancing nervously at the camera in the corner of the elevator, “S-someone...is going to see us…” His words didn’t seem very concerned though, each light touch of Wonshik’s lips was enough to make him shiver, biting into his lower lip. The fact they were now engaged made everything that had already been perfect even better: their hugs, their kisses, their late night baking, their talks in bed and of course the love making that followed. In just one night Hakyeon felt the overwhelming difference. Hakyeon wouldn’t let Wonshik get away without giving him a proper kiss, putting on quite the show for the camera as he weaved his hands into Wonshik’s blonde locks and kissed him deeply until the ding of the elevator sounded they had arrived at the ground floor. 

At the bakery Hakyeon's decorations made the store so vibrant and wonderful. The stars hanging down glimmered while the display cases had little firework tags with the names of their specials: Comet Cream Puff, Twinkling Twilight Tart, Neptune's Five Ring Cake, Milky Way Macaron and so forth. Wonshik liked the sign drapped outside of the store most: Starlight Bakery's One Year Celebration! It was such a simple sign but it made him soar inside when he thought about how he spent the last 12 months running this bakery with Hakyeon. When they first started, they were a fretting mess, constantly worried their treats were awful and that's why no one came. But it was a gradual process, not one of those fairy tale miracles where a movie star came in and tried their pastries. Their love life was already a fairy tale. Instead, over time people started spreading that word that their baked goods were the best in the area. From there, they had earned regulars who enjoyed the treat of seeing them as much as eating their creations. It was a year that ended up flying by. Wonshik wouldn't have asked to do this with anyone else in the world. 

Hakyeon was wrapped around Wonshik’s middle as they conversed with a young couple who was visiting the store for the first time, his head resting under the arm Wonshik had hung loosely around his shoulders. Their real relationship was no longer a "secret". Hakyeon had been clinging to his fiancé since they left their apartment, making their morning preparations a little more difficult than usual; Wonshik had an equally hard time keeping his hands off Hakyeon as well. The couple was inquiring about whether the bakery would be able to cater cupcakes for their wedding reception next month, Hakyeon more than eager to accept the offer, thoughts of his and Wonshik’s own wedding already swimming in his mind. He wanted nothing more than to shout out their engagement to the world but after a little batter mishap earlier that morning Hakyeon wasn’t allowed to wear his engagement ring while working now.

“Helping someone with their wedding will give us some great ideas for ours, Shikie!” He whispered in Wonshik's ear. 

Wonshik's cheeks dusted faintly in a red color, smiling awkwardly at the young couple as they waved goodbye. Hakyeon had been insisting since the moment he slipped the ring on his finger that they plan out every detail on their own. Wonshik wasn’t sure they’d be able to undertake such a large project with just the two of them. Despite the grand celebration and the steady business all morning, it had slowed a little for the afternoon. They were in the back fixing more desserts, Hakyeon decorating and frosting the pastries Wonshik pulled from the ovens; it was the first time they had been physically apart all day. 

“I can’t believe we’re getting married!” Hakyeon sang as he skipped over to Wonshik’s side, their separation not lasting long as his arms slid around Wonshik's neck as he planted a multitude of sweet kisses along his jaw whispering, “My Wonshik, my love, my fiancé.” 

Saying the word “fiancé” out loud made his lips tingle, his heart somersault Hakyeon never thought he’d be happier than the day that Wonshik had finally agreed to a date with him but being engaged made him feel like he was flying through a sunny, rainbow-filled, cloud-free sky. He only knew his happiest moment would be when he was saying his “I do”s to Wonshik. Wonshik in turn had the goofiest of grins, letting the word repeat in his mind in Hakyeon's voice. Although Wonshik imagined standing at the end of the aisle with a woman gracefully making her way towards him in a classic white gown, he could settle with the image of Hakyeon in one. A snicker left him as he knew saying this aloud would earn him a chastising slap on the arm. The chiming of the doorbell pulled Hakyeon away, leaving one more peck to the tip of Wonshik’s nose, before returning to the lobby, “Welcome to Starlight Bakery’s one year-Taekwoonie?!” 

Taekwoon had spent hours during his shift trying to work up the courage to go over to the bakery and now here he stood just inside the door, still in his work uniform, with a cup from the cafe in each hand. He felt stupid, seeing the look of surprise on Hakyeon’s face.

“C-Congra...tulations," Taekwoon mumbled softly having noticed the sign hanging outside the store, his voice shaking from nerves; his heart still raced upon seeing Hakyeon again. Thankfully, despite the shock, Hakyeon didn’t seem upset to see him; he had that glow about him that Taekwoon had grown to love and he only hoped that him and Wonshik hadn’t broken up. His hope was confirmed as Wonshik, having heard Hakyeon’s sudden outburst, strolled out from the back. His arm immediately caught Hakyeon around the waist possessively and pulled him close. He steadied his gaze on Taekwoon, as if daring him to say something wrong.

“It’s nice to see you, Taekwoonie.” Hakyeon broke the silence before the tension could thicken, praying Wonshik would be civilized for the sake of the special occasion. 

“T-these….are for you.” Taekwoon set the coffees down on the table near him before turning to leave. It had taken all his courage just to walk through the door, he didn’t know if he could handle staying especially given the angry feelings he was certain Wonshik harbored towards him. And it was just in that serendipitous moment that the door flew open and a very charismatic figure stepped inside, arms flung out and voice booming, "Congratulations to the cutest couple around here!" 

The newcomer gasped in feigned shock, a devilish look to his eyes. "Oops. Was I not supposed to say that out loud?" 

Thankfully there was only Hakyeon and Wonshik in the bakery--and Taekwoon. The smiling man's eyes landed on the dark-haired barista who had a perturbed expression.Taekwoon was undeniably handsome to him but the hunched shoulders and the lowered gaze definitely didn't do him any favors. 

"Jaehwan!" Hakyeon was jumping up and down by Wonshik, grinning in radiance and clapping like Jaehwan just did some trick. Although Taekwoon looked like he was about to sidestep Jaehwan and leave, Jaehwan slipped his arm into Taekwoon's and turned him right around, "It's a party, you can't leave so soon," he smiled over at Taekwoon. For all he knew, Taekwoon could've been there for hours already. Taekwoon didn’t like Jaehwan already. It hadn’t even been thirty seconds and this stranger was already invading his personal space, something Taekwoon valued immensely. There wasn’t much he could do though and just let out an exasperated sigh. 

Wonshik stood back as Hakyeon left him again for the sake of pummeling Jaehwan with hugs and wet kisses to the cheek. He glanced at Taekwoon who was also dispatched to the side. They shared a look, and after a long moment of neither of them blinking, Wonshik finally nodded. Taekwoon's eyebrows raised for a slight moment, but he curtly nodded back. This was some animal kingdom acknowledgment that despite their feud, they could become friends--or at least acquaintances that didn't avoid one another's presence. Wonshik even reached for the coffee Taekwoon brought, noting how this was the first time he ever gave one to him. He took a sip and to his begrudging surprise, it was tasty with the right amount of sweetness that didn't mask the flavor of the coffee. Maybe Taekwoon wasn't too bad of a person. 

"Wonbie!" There was a hand on Wonshik's shoulder and he saw Jaehwan standing there, waiting for his reply. Wonbie was a nickname given to him because he apparently worked better through the night and Jaehwan felt Wonbie sounded like a bat name. 

"Hey, hyung," he simply greeted, pulling him in for a brief hug. "Glad you could make it."

"How could I ever miss the anniversary of the two best people in the world?" Jaehwan had a knack for saying embarrassing comments. As he saw Hakyeon slide right up against Wonshik's side again, he further said, "After all, I had to make sure the couple I helped get together was still doing well." 

Wonshik snorted, for it was common for Jaehwan to proclaim he was the reason they dated. It might've been true in the sense Jaehwan's failed attempt to win Hakyeon's heart made him realize he didn't want anyone else monopolizing Hakyeon's time. However, it was mainly due to Hakyeon's natural charm that finally won Wonshik's heart.

“Oh I would have won this stubborn guy over eventually. I was far too cute for him to ignore forever!” Hakyeon laughed as he nuzzled Wonshik’s shoulder before adding happily, “It’s nice to see you doing well too, Jaehwanie! I can’t believe you’re a wedding cake designer now!” 

Despite all the mishaps Jaehwan had had with the actual cooking parts in pastry school, his artistic flair for decorating had allowed him to scrape by with a passing grade. Hakyeon had heard all about and seen the extravagant designs Jaehwan had drawn up for hundreds of couples already. Hakyeon had called Jaehwan that morning about their engagement, knowing how busy he was, and was shocked to hear that Jaehwan had already had a design for their cake, “I’ve had it waiting for almost two years!” He had told Hakyeon, “I knew from the first day you guys started dating you’d end up married.” Hakyeon had told Wonshik that Jaehwan was already booked; he didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

"And who is this handsome fellow?" Jaehwan turned his eyes onto Taekwoon. "Don't tell me you two make him witness your gross canoodling all day long. He doesn't work here, right?"

Taekwoon had had his eyes on Hakyeon, pleased to see how happy him and Wonshik were together but unable to fight off the small twinge in his heart. Hearing Jaehwan address him and feeling three pairs of eyes on him now, Taekwoon immediately looked down at his feet, his chin dipping to his chest. He felt the color rising into his cheeks at the blunt remark from Jaehwan, praying to whatever gods there were that he could turn invisible, or even drop dead, this very moment. Taekwoon knew he wasn’t unfortunate looking but it always unnerved him whenever anyone mentioned something about his looks. Hakyeon rolled his eyes as he chuckled at their old friend, “Ah Jaehwanie, we’re not that bad!” 

When it was clear Taekwoon wasn’t going to answer, Hakyeon stepped in for him, “Taekwoonie works at the cafe across the street! He makes the best lattes you’ve ever tasted! ...And he’s single," Hakyeon added as an afterthought. Taekwoon loved Hakyeon but he swore he was going to kill him.

The reunion was short-lived as customers began to file into the shop again, Wonshik excusing himself after one more hug with Jaehwan to head back into the kitchen. 

“We’ve got to get back to work but we’ll be slow again in a couple hours. Here…” Hakyeon took one of Jaehwan's and one of Taekwoon’s wrists in each hand, leading them over to one of the tables and sitting them down across from each other, “You two get acquainted. If you can’t find anything to talk about you can always talk about me.” He winked before fetching them a few cream puffs, green tea for Taekwoon and strawberry for Jaehwan, then hugged each of them and finally disappeared to restock the display. 

Hakyeon stole glances at the pair in between customers while he worked. For the first hour Taekwoon looked like he was in his own personal hell, head still down, refusing to look at Jaehwan who just bombarded him with questions and made up his own answers if he didn’t get a response. When there was a lull while an ajumma was deciding what she wanted to order, Hakyeon was about to go over and try to encourage Taekwoon into speaking after seeing him say virtually nothing for an hour. But then he saw the faintest tug on the corner of the barista’s lips and heard a light sound released with a puff of air; Jaehwan actually made Taekwoon laugh, or what he counted as a laugh for the silent man. Hakyeon didn’t want to ruin this precious moment, Jaehwan already causing Taekwoon’s cheeks to redden by calling him loudly out on the smile. 

Wonshik had finished his last batch of the day and already cleaned the countertops in the back, the dishes soaking in the dishwasher. He came out to see what was going on in the front, spotting Hakyeon right there, staring at the only two people now left in the shop. Quietly Wonshik slipped up behind him, hands covering Hakyeon's eyes as he murmured in his ear, "Guess who." Wonshik wasn't trying to disguise his voice at all, the deep mellow tone carrying nothing but love. 

"My fiancé who isn't sneaky at all," Hakyeon twirled around with ease, breaking Wonshik's hand barrier. When they faced each other, Wonshik immediately scooped him into a hug as if he were a dob of whipped cream. 

"How's it feel?" Wonshik asked, linking his fingers at the small of Hakyeon's back. 

“Those two?” Hakyeon questioned back, glancing over his shoulder at Jaehwan and Taekwoon. It had been a few hours and Taekwoon was speaking openly with Jaehwan now, his natural voice so soft compared to Jaehwan’s which echoed through the entire store, “It feels nice to finally have something to hold over Jaehwanie’s head now, setting those two up.” Hakyeon smiled, already looking forward to the moment he could gloat--it would come later that year when the two of them showed up to his and Wonshik’s wedding together.

“I’m glad I can see Taekwoonie happy, and that Jaehwanie seems to have found someone he can talk to freely without worrying about interruptions. They both look really happy.” It truly warmed Hakyeon's heart to see his two closest friends hitting it off despite a rocky start. Wonshik glanced at the mentioned pair, quietly chuckling. "Yeah, now I don't gotta worry about anymore competition." His eyes went back to Hakyeon, his smile infectious, "But I meant how do you feel about calling me your fiancé?" 

It was clear that their friends were paying them no attention, so Hakyeon brought his hands up to cup Wonshik’s face, thumbs brushing his cheeks, “I feel like the luckiest man in the world.” He answered before pressing his lips lightly to Wonshik’s, a brief kiss before rubbing the tips of their noses together, “My life couldn’t be any more perfect. I love you, Kim Wonshik.” 

Yes, it was corny, but there wasn’t anything more Hakyeon could think to say. While he had never quite envisioned his future including a husband and a bakery, it all changed the first day of class when he had laid eyes on the person who had gone from his classroom baking partner to his partner for life. Wonshik still smiled, enriched in the moment before a glint caught his eyes and he lowered his voice, "Does this mean you'll finally wear thigh high socks and a skirt for me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: All finished! We know you guys love your Neo but we hoped you enjoyed this as well ^^ We hope to write more for other pairings also! Follow us on Twitter for current fic updates! @starkunfics


End file.
